Author: Peter Bowyer Date: To: exim-users Subject: Re: [exim] Selective filters incoming messages
On 31/12/06, Laurel Fitzhugh <dittany@???> wrote: > Thanks for the information, I am trying to sort through it. I imagine my
> host would use ACL also, if I proposed something that would work.
That depends on how they have their Exim set up, and perhaps on
whether its shared with other customers or just for you.
> I am having a hard time finding anything that describes how these things
> work for individual email addresses. For instance, I have seen reference to
> -bf and "There is also a *-bF* option, which is similar, but which is used
> for testing system filter files". Does this mean that some filters are
> available for specific email addresses?
There are essentially 2 types of filter. The 'system filter', if
defined, is run once per message. The other type which can be
considered as 'user filters' are typically associated with individual
recipients and will run for each message the recipient gets.
Having said that, the only reason that's the case is that the
conventional default config sets it up that way, and it's analagous to
how other mailers use '.forward' files. Exim is very flexible in
allowing pieces of functionality to be triggered by complex conditions
way beyond simply matching a filter to a single recipient.
> I was hoping I would have a file on the server that lists the (half dozen)
> email addresses that cannot receive email from any other domain. Other than
> that, all mail would go through to the recipient. In which case the
> addresses in this list would only get mail if it came from the same domain.
That sounds like a reasonable approach, which could be driven from an
ACL, a router, or a filter.
> Is this the way exim works? If I am thinking right, then I can read with
> more comprehension.
Unfortuately for the beginner, there's no single way that Exim
'works'. A great deal depends on how your hosting company has
configured the Exim instance you're working with. It's very difficult
to provide useful specific advice without knowing this, and will
probably be very frustrating for you....
