Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!uunet!bu.edu!cs.bu.edu!ckd From: ckd@cs.bu.edu (Christopher Davis) Newsgroups: comp.mail.misc Subject: Re: Another Novice Needs sendmail Help Message-ID: Date: 15 Dec 90 23:25:40 GMT References: <1990Dec13.203054.17265@chinet.chi.il.us> <1990Dec14.231424.11133@chinet.chi.il.us> Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: 1000000011000101, Inc. Lines: 60 In-reply-to: les@chinet.chi.il.us's message of 14 Dec 90 23:14:24 GMT les> les@chinet.chi.il.us (Leslie Mikesell) writes: Karl> karl_kleinpaste@cis.ohio-state.edu writes: les> I guess so. I thought they [MX records] were mail addresses. Nope. The rarely-seen "MB" or "MG" records, but not MX. MX means "if you have mail for xyz.com, send it to foo.bar.net, they know how to handle it from there." Karl> Even more so, for private, single machines, I really don't want Karl> them to be considered part of my organization. I do MX service Karl> for galaxia.newport.ri.us and a few related systems; they are by Karl> no means part of OSU and I don't intend to have them identified as Karl> such. les> OK, then it still makes sense for an internet-uucp (or anything else) les> gateway to establish a domain name just for the purpose of controlling les> the namespace at the same point as the physical links. Why? The domain *servers* for a domain do not have to be within that domain. For example, the name servers for MorningStar.COM are at Ohio State, where the MXes are-- doesn't this "control the namespace at the same point as the physical links"? After all, anyone who is willing and able to give you MX service is *probably* set up to handle domain service for you, TOO. les> With a wild-card MX pointing to the forwarder, it should be les> possible to add any number of addressable off-net machines without les> changing anything but the forwarder's tables. The value of this is les> obvious within organizations, but not everyone "has" an les> organization. Which is what foo.city.st.us is for. Karl> Just for grins, imagine one of the sites that have seriously Karl> embarrassed themselves on the networks having been identified as a Karl> subdomain of the Internet entity which feeds them. I rather suspect Karl> that the feed site would not take too kindly to such a suggestion. les> I don't understand this any more than I would understand my state, les> city, or post office being embarrassed by their mention in the les> return address on a postal letter, but I'll take your word for it. People don't *assume* that it's your city's fault you have access to the postal service; after all, the USPS is required to mail your letters (assuming they're legal mail, i.e. not bombs or whatever). However, if your stuff goes out with headers of something like "les@chinet.uucp.very-large-u.edu," and I think you're a complete idiot who shouldn't be allowed near any computer more powerful than an abacus, who am I likely to write to? "postmaster@bigsite.very-large-u.edu." I mean, *I* don't know you're just freeloading off of them... -- [ Christopher Davis - - <..!bu.edu!cs.bu.edu!ckd> ] A message destined for delivery in *your* domain is fair game for anything you may want to do, up to and including translating the entire message, header and all, into Swahili. -- chip@tct.uucp (Chip Salzenberg)