From owner-freebsd-current Fri Jan 1 09:42:53 1999 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id JAA03071 for freebsd-current-outgoing; Fri, 1 Jan 1999 09:42:53 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: (from jmb@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id JAA03030; Fri, 1 Jan 1999 09:42:34 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from jmb) Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1999 09:42:34 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199901011742.JAA03030@hub.freebsd.org> From: "Jonathan M. Bresler" To: green@unixhelp.org CC: bright@hotjobs.com, mark@grondar.za, donegan@quick.net, scrappy@hub.org, dcs@newsguy.com, freebsd-test@FreeBSD.ORG In-reply-to: (message from Brian Feldman on Fri, 1 Jan 1999 11:47:36 -0500 (EST)) Subject: Re: HEADS UP: Postfix is coming. new uid, gid required. References: Sender: owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG discussion is being MOVED to freebsd-test. please subscribe to freebsd-test. this is an mild abuse of freebsd-test, but i have checked with the postmaster, its okay ;) he doesnt want to set up another list right now. please do not send anymore mail on this subject to either current or committers. the alternatives proposed so far are: postfix as a port: sendmail and postfix each installs 6 files that the other installs (/usr/sbin/sendmail, /usr/bin/newaliases /usr/bin/mailq). if postfix is a port this scenario arises: install FreeBSD (mta: sendmail) install port of Postfix ( postfix) time passes, some customization possible upgrade or make world or (sendmail replaces postfix) customization of mail system ignored. user pissed. symlinks do not solve this problem. a symlink from /usr/sbin/sendmail to /usr/local/sbin/postfix/postfix would be overwritten. for make world, this is preventable by defining NO_SENDMAIL in /etc/make.conf. for those users that know of and have glanced at /etc/make.conf sysinstall is not able, at this time, to let the user choose an MTA. anyone will to fix that should step forward with patches. fine for the "moderately knowlegeable user". bad for the "minimal hassle" user. the "expert user" will do it their way. sendmail and postfix ports: the user by default is left without an MTA. this is like sun shipping solaris without a compiler.....PITA. PITA for the "moderately knowlegeable user". bad for the "minimal hassle" user. the "expert user" will do it their way. postfix in contrib: user sets a varible in /etc/make.conf. the flag is MAILER. it has three alternatives: SENDMAIL, POSTFIX, NONE. a make world installs postfix and never surprises the user with a different mailer. increases the size of the source tree. the "moderately knowlegeable user" can pick there poision. the "minimal hassle" user can run a script to replace the sendmail binaries and manpages with the postfix binaries and manpages (both will remain in the tree, even after running the script. the "expert user" will do it their way. other considerations: we have users at different levels of UNIX knowledge. those taht know enough to select their own mta will. those that want to write an mta will. those that need a working box with minimal hassle are left with /etc/sendmail.cf postfix is far easier for the "minimal hassle" user to use and live with. sendmail is the thickest o'reilly book i own. i love sendmail, it does things that no other mailer can. i have made it do some truly hideous operations due to managment "vision". but i can not, in good consciense, recommend sendmail to "minimal hassle" users. both sendmail and postfix have their place. jmb -- Jonathan M. Bresler FreeBSD Core Team, Postmaster jmb@FreeBSD.ORG FreeBSD--The Power to Serve JMB193 http://www.freebsd.org/ PGP 2.6.2 Fingerprint: 31 57 41 56 06 C1 40 13 C5 1C E3 E5 DC 62 0E FB To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message