Re: sendmail status

On 19/03/2024 14:44, lists wrote:
> Wanted to clarify the status of sendmail.
>     
> https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/mail/#dragonFly-mail-agent
>     
> says:
>    
> *quote*
> dma(8) is not intended as a replacement for real, big MTAs like sendmail(8)
> *end quote*
> 
> Does this mean that sendmail in the base OS
> is *not* deprecated or similar?
> 
> I'm not against adapting and trying dma,
> but I'm confused by the the handbook examples
> of using dma to route outgoing mail
> through 3rd party servers.
> 
> Does it mean that dma only works with external smtp?
> i.e. does dma not have its own smtp?
> 
> However, if sendmail is not deprecated/obsolescent,
> I'd prefer to keep using that.

DMA is a much smaller and simpler mail server which offers a 
deliberately limited subset of the full functionality of MTAs like 
sendmail, exim or postfix. It's suitable for FreeBSD servers that aren't 
specifically for handling e-mail but do need to send some messages 
occasionally.  It doesn't handle incoming e-mail at all: it's ideal role 
is to hand-off e-mails originating on your server to a central mail host 
for forwarding or delivery.

So, if you need a fully fledged mail server, need to receive messages 
from remote senders or simply prefer the added functionality and 
complexity then DMA is not for you.  AFAIK, sendmail is still going to 
be supplied with the base system for the forseeable future, but honestly 
even if it does get removed from base, it certainly isn't disappearing 
from ports.

	Cheers,

	Matthew