[NTLUG:Discuss] Configuring emailed reports

[Chris Cox]

Rick Matthews wrote:
> Jay Urish wrote:
> 
>>You don't have to... Thats how mail works. If you send your mail to 
>>foo at fatso.com, your server does a DNS query against fatso.com and
>>looks for the MX record.
>>Thats how it knows where to send mail.
> 
> 
> So *that's* what those MX records are for! But if that's all it takes
> to find the correct smtp location, why do all of the email clients
> make you plug it in manually? (Unless the purpose is to keep a large
> number of tech support folks employed?)

Windows users, in general, do NOT have a local smtp/MTA running...
therefore, it is often documented as a required step... since
we all know that EVERYONE is a Windows User :-)

Most MUA clients have dialog panels inside their Preferences
or Options menus that allow you specify such information... again,
only useful if you lack a local smtp (e.g. sendmail or other).

Inside of a corporate network, you may have to jump through
some hoops depending upon their configuration... for example,
they may disallow outbound mail except through a dedicated
smtp host.  In those cases, even with Unix, you may be
forced to use an MUA client config like above, or some additional
configuration to your local MTA.


> 
> OK, we're almost there.
> 
> This email account requires smtp authentication using the userid and
> password assigned to the account. Where do I store that information?
> (or are you going to tell me that's unnecessary, too?)
> 

For outbound mail throuh your own smtp... no authentication is necessary
(unless you want to set that up just for the fun of it).