Xref: utzoo comp.mail.misc:4488 comp.mail.uucp:5633 comp.mail.sendmail:2498
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!fair
From: fair@Apple.COM (Erik E. Fair)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc,comp.mail.uucp,comp.mail.sendmail
Subject: Re: Which headers may Sendmail re-write?
Message-ID: <47340@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 13 Dec 90 08:49:31 GMT
References: <1CE00001.p376wj@tbomb.ice.com>
Organization: USENET Protocol Police, Western Gateway Division
Lines: 30

In the referenced article, time@tbomb.ice.com writes:
>
>Disclaimer: I am no email guru, just been into it a long time.
> [...]
>I guess the bottom line is this:
>   I have *never* met a sendmail installation that did not create
>   problems by munging headers. This is a headache for the administrator
>   as much as the mail user. Now granted, it may be only one problem
>   out of thousands of letters, but sooner or later it happens.

This is because there are entirely too many people who believe that
because they have read chapter 5 of the Sendmail Installation and
Operation Guide that they are qualified to modify sendmail
configuration files. Wrong. You must have a deep understanding of the
E-mail system as a whole, and how all the parts interact with each
other (and there are some cases in which you just can't win, due to the
ignorance of other mail system implementors. There is a special place
in Hell for them).

Sendmail is typical of most tools for UNIX: it gives you plenty of
rope, with which you may accomplish your task, or hang yourself, if
that is what you desire. Smail is a win for most people because it is
simple, and has wired assumptions for common cases. Don't try anything
complex with it, and it will serve you well. That was why it was
designed. However, I wouldn't try to run a medium-complex mail
installation (e.g. Apple Computer) without sendmail on the key systems
because there are no alternatives with its power and flexibility, for
those who are competant enough to make correct use of it.

	Erik E. Fair	apple!fair	fair@apple.com