On Sun, Dec 04, 2005 at 03:24:31AM -0500, Edward Shornock wrote: > On Sun, Dec 04, 2005 at 11:02:03AM +0530, TAC Forums wrote: > > Hi > > > > Does anyone know why Debian bundled EXIM instead of Postfix or > > Sendmail as the default MTA? > > I don't know for sure but it could be because: > * Exim is easy to configure > * Postfix' license may be too restrictive for some > * Many people consider sendmail to be too complex to set up, and don't > use it because of all of the security problems that it used to have. > > In order, it's been: smail (small, Sendmail alike).
exim (a.k.a. exim3) exim4 I can't remember what was before smail, if any. Exim is relatively easy to configure: exim4 harder to understand for me. Exim is only widely used in the Debian Project and University of Cambridge AFAIK - but it's well written and well maintained and there is now good documentation. I'm not sure that postfix does have license issues: I tend to apt-get install postfix && apt-get remove exim as one of my configuration steps - you don't want to remove all MTA's at a stroke :) - but that's personal preference. Certainly the author is well respected and knows how to write good code. Sendmail - the story goes that compiling the proper syntax for a .cf file requires a lot of hitting your head on the keyboard in frustration at the complexity - glances at a well configured .cf file reveal that this may have been the most efficient configuration method :) In the end, MTA choice can lead to religious wars - but there is at least a good choice in Debian :) All IMHO Andy -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
