[NTLUG:Discuss] mailserver

[bobby@wrennest.com]

Richard Cobbe wrote:

snip----------
> > I know "Real Geeks" want it to be hard enough that only the truly devout
> > can master "The System". But really folks I still am not sure what all
> > the pieces are. Much less how to configure them.
> 
snip---------
> 
> Unix software is complex not to provide barriers to entry, but rather to
> provide maximum flexibility and configurability.  Eric Allman, the main
> developer behind sendmail (one of the MTAs people have mentioned) has a
> wonderful quote that explains this phenomenon.  Unfortunately, I don't
> remember his exact words, but they were something like "The real world is a
> very complex place, and sendmail configuration reflects that."
My point is that in what everyone calls a bloated OS I can have a mail
system (people outside send mail in, people inside send mail to each
other and people outside) set up in a short time and an operator who
knows nothing about how the system works can do the day to day
administration.

> 
> Historically, Unix users have been willing to invest more time and effort
> to learn a system if it means that the system will be able to do *EXACTLY*
> what they want.  We're all control freaks, in other words.
Exactly what I want is to drive a car without knowing how to build a
car. I might like to learn how to build it later. But for now just need
to drive it.
> 
> Of course, unix folks have historically *enjoyed* working with complex
> systems, perhaps for reasons that don't always involve the greater
> flexibility I mention above, so there's perhaps less pressure towards
> ease-of-use and "intuitiveness"---whatever *that* means.  I think it would
> be unfair, though, to claim that unix software developers go out of their
> way to deliberately make the software hard to use.
I don't mind complex systems. However, just in this example. I have had
people tell me many times that if I wanted an email server I should
install Sendmail,Postfix,Qmail... I have learned that these programs are
MTAs. and that they are only one peice. Some mentioned Qpopper. I can
guess what that does but how do I install the different pieces so they
talk to each other? I assume they need to communicate. Is there any
other piece I need. I keep asking about a system and I get answers about
pieces of the system. Some have tried to cover all the parts but haven't
mentioned the POP3 server. I have a domain running and am getting DNS
service. I don't know if my internal DNS is configured correctly or if
email depends on it.

The driving consideration in the Microsoft world is ease of use. So,
everything else (security, speed, reliablity) fall somewhere down the
list. I the Unix world not only is ease of use at the bottom of the
list. Some programs seem to be built with difficulty as a primary
consideration.

Surely it is possible to write reasonably easy to use software which is
also reasonably secure. In the mean time I am ready to pay someone to
come over here and get email services running on my Linux box. Any
takers? Bid your price!
> 
> Richard
> _______________________________________________
> http://ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss

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