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1.1 root 1: .\" This file is automatically generated. Do not edit!
2: .SC MH\-MTS 8
3: .NA
4: mh\-mts \- the MH interface to the message transport system
5: .SY
6: SendMail
7:
8: .ti .5i
9: MMDF (any release)
10:
11: .ti .5i
12: stand\-alone
13: .DE
14: \fIMH\fR can use a wide range of message transport systems to deliver mail.
15: Although the \fIMH\fR administrator usually doesn't get to choose which MTS
16: to use (since it's already in place),
17: this document briefly describes the interfaces.
18:
19: When communicating with \fISendMail\fR,
20: \fIMH\fR always uses the SMTP to post mail.
21: Depending on the \fIMH\fR configuration,
22: \fISendMail\fR may be invoked directly (via a \fIfork\fR and an \fIexec\fR),
23: or \fIMH\fR may open a TCP/IP connection to the SMTP server on the localhost.
24:
25: When communicating with \fIMMDF\fR,
26: normally \fIMH\fR uses the \*(lqmm\(ru\*(rq routines to post mail.
27: However, depending on the \fIMH\fR configuration,
28: \fIMH\fR instead may open a TCP/IP connection to the SMTP server on the
29: localhost.
30:
31: When using the stand\-alone system (\fBNOT\fR recommended),
32: \fIMH\fR delivers local mail itself and queues \fIUUCP\fR and network mail.
33: The network mail portion will probably have to be modified to reflect the
34: local host's tastes, since there is no well\-known practice in this area for
35: non\-4.2BSD hosts.
36:
37: If you are running a 4.2BSD UNIX system,
38: then it is felt that the best interface is achieved by using either
39: \fISendMail\fR or \fIMMDF\fR with the SMTP option.
40: This gives greater flexibility.
41: To enable this option you append the /smtp suffix to the mts option in the
42: \fIMH\fR configuration.
43: This yields two primary advantages:
44: First,
45: you don't have to know where \fIsubmit\fR or \fISendMail\fR live.
46: This means that \fIMH\fR binaries (e.g., \fIpost\fR\0)
47: don't have to have this information hard\-coded,
48: or can run different programs altogether;
49: and,
50: second, you can post mail with the server on different systems, so you don't
51: need either \fIMMDF\fR or \fISendMail\fR on your local host.
52: Big win in conserving cycles and disk space.
53: Since \fIMH\fR supports the notion of a server search\-list in this respect,
54: this approach can be tolerant of faults.
55:
56: There are four disadvantages to using the SMTP option:
57: First, only 4.2BSD UNIX is supported.
58: Second, you need to have an SMTP server running somewhere on any network your
59: local host can reach.
60: Third, this bypasses any authentication mechanisms in \fIMMDF\fR
61: or \fISendMail\fR.
62: Fourth,
63: the file \fB/etc/hosts\fR is used for hostname lookups
64: (although there is an exception file).
65: In response to these disadvantages though:
66: First, 4.2BSD UNIX is the best UNIX around for networking.
67: When other UNIXes get TCP/IP and real networking,
68: \fIMH\fR can be modified.
69: Second, there's got to be an SMTP server somewhere around if you're in the
70: Internet or have a local network.
71: Since the server search\-list is very general,
72: a wide\-range of options are possible.
73: Third,
74: SMTP should be fixed to have authentication mechanisms in it, like POP.
75: Fourth,
76: \fIMH\fR won't choke on mail to hosts whose official names it can't verify,
77: it'll just plug along
78: (and besides
79: if you enable the BERK or DUMB configuration options,
80: \fIMH\fR ignores the hosts file altogether).
81: .Fi
82: ^/usr/new/lib/mh/mtstailor~^tailor file
83: .Pr
84: None
85: .Sa
86: \fIMMDF\-II: A Technical Review\fR,
87: Proceedings, Usenix Summer '84 Conference
88: .br
89: \fISENDMAIL \-\- An Internetwork Mail Router\fR
90: .br
91: mh\-tailor(8), post(8)
92: .De
93: None
94: .Co
95: None
96: .Bu
97: The /usr/new/lib/mh/mtstailor file ignores the information in the \fIMMDF\-II\fR
98: tailoring file.
99: It should not.
100: .En
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