Re: [exim] Exim : The Documentation

Top Page
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Nigel Metheringham
Date:  
To: exim
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] Exim : The Documentation
On 24 Jan 2010, at 04:41, exim@??? wrote:
> 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 main documentation is the specification. This is reference
level documentation. There is a sold need for tutorial
documentation - this is addressed by the exim books - see
- http://uit.co.uk/content/exim-smtp-mail-server
- http://uit.co.uk/content/exim-example


> 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?


There is also the main problem that everyone thinks they can run
their own mail server. Frankly they are wrong. Email used to be a
major function which was implemented by people who had some idea of
the RFCs and what *should* be done. Now everyone with a workstation
thinks they can run their own email system - documentation is not
structured for the requirements of the truely ignorant (and
possibly it should not be).

> [....] 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.


Please implement a replacement. I don't have time - and frankly no
inclination since it just means that people spend their time
sniping - the current content is available in the CVS repository.
Put up or shut up.

[Its probably worth pointing out that there are basically no people
volunteering to do any work. I no longer have any time, nor do I
have any other contact with email systems so I don't have any
impetus to work on it, so I am not scheduling any further time on
exim work. "Constructive" criticism without any actual input is
frankly of no use whatsoever ]

--
[ Nigel Metheringham             Nigel.Metheringham@??? ]
[ - Comments in this message are my own and not ITO opinion/policy - ]