Hallo,
I've been a new user for 3 months and discovered one of the most
negative things about Exim is the documentation.
Writing as a computer programmer with 43 years experience (yes I know
I'm going to die probably in the next 10 years - its not a nice reality)
Exim documentation is unhelpful and I am surprised no one seems to have
successfully tackled the issue.
Exim appears to be a good product but the documentation appears to have
been written by its author who has contributed substantial amounts of
hard and dedicated thinking with lots of good logic. The author is too
close to Exim to contemplate the realities and requirements of
enthusiastic users like me.
The problem with Exim documentation is one can't easily implement one's
own ideas because of the structure and content of the documentation.
Often one is left wondering how the hell do I do that?
Exim documentation needs to be re-organised and presented in a more
logical and organised fashion. The Exim web site also needs a facelift
and should abandon the ancient technique of frames. Put the choices at
the top of the page and have CSS menus.
The revised and improved version of Exim documentation should follow the
sequence of the configuration file.
Each new chapter should begin, like a school text book, with a chunk of
the configuration file and several examples. No one, including me,
should ever have to contemplate reading through masses and masses of
Exim details we think we need only to disappointingly discover the
crucial bit is missing. Its a bit like Wagner in classical music where a
good climax never ever happens.
Remember how a good Algebra book shows the formula and explains the
concept? That is how Exim documentation could be.
My criticism is no criticism of Exim's author. He has devoted a
considerable amount of his critical thought process designing and
implementing a good product (well I like it otherwise I wouldn't bother
moaning about the state of the documentation).
Instead of having documentation that always omits the detailed point one
is searching for (I've configured a basic set-up without reading the
documentation) ALL the information - documentation, tips and examples -
must be in the same place. Having 3 places - documentation, beginners
and Wiki - is bonkers. There is only one Exim and that one Exim is the
best place for all the available documentation and tips. Using the
wonders of hypertext links Exim documentation can have an abundance of
helpful sub-pages inundated with crystal clear examples galore.
I want to re-use a badly spammed email address, last active 6 years ago.
One of my chosen tests to stop junk mail is rejecting incoming emails
from any host name containing
*-*-*-* : *dynamic* : *static* : etc .................
However I can't get it to work even though I can reject or defer mail
from host names ending in very distant country codes (e.g. *vn). Real
mail servers don't have 3 dashes (hyphens) in their host name but many
home connections do.
Exim documentation should be written by users and the author together.
Users should also have the facility to add examples themselves.
Obviously the core documentation must remain unchanged. The author
knows better than everyone how Exim works and what can be done. Users
have less intimate knowledge BUT they have real requirements: the
implementation of which should feature in the documentation as one of
many examples. Something similar happens with the PHP documentation
which I find very useful.
Exim is good. So good the security services appear to use it (claims
Cable & Wireless) and so does the police's PNN delivery system even
though C&W have not bothered to make the host names identical to the
HELO / EHLO names.
Constructive comments and criticisms welcome.
Paul.
