Ok, let's now start up the "sendmailconfig" script, and go through the configuration settings: /etc/init.d/sendmail start sendmailconfig.
debian:~# sendmailconfig Sendmail Configuration ---------------------- By answering the following questions, you can \ configure sendmail for your system. Default values are determined either by \ your existing configuration or from common usage. Press [ENTER] Mail Name --------- Your 'mail name' is the hostname portion of \ the address to be shown on outgoing news and mail messages (following \ the username and @ sign). This name will be used by other programs besides \ sendmail; it should be the single, full domain name (FQDN) from which mail \ will appear to originate. Mail name? [example.com] |
This is identical to the Exim configuration section in this that we covered previously.
Null Client ----------- A special configuration known as the "null client" \ can be created for this host if all mail should be forwarded to a \ central hub via a local SMTP-based network. This may be a suitable configuration \ if you want to forward all of your mail to your local Internet service \ provider (ISP) for delivery. To enable this option, give the name of the \ host to which all mail should be forwarded. Otherwise leave the option \ empty to disable it. To remove a prior name, use 'NONE'. Null client forward host? [] |
A "null client" configuration is suitable for a workstation or similar system, which simply needs to redirect all its e-mail to the central mail server on your network. we'll leave this blank for our current configuration.
Smart Host ---------- A "Smart Host" is one that can deliver mail to \ external machines. By using a "Smart Host", we don't need DNS, or good \ connectivity ourselves. This is most likely what you want if you have a \ dialup link, or sit behind a firewall. To enable this option, give the name of the \ host to which all non-local mail should be forwarded. Otherwise leave \ the option empty. To remove a prior name, use 'NONE'. Smart Host:? [] |
A "smart host" configuration is similar to a "null client", except it also does not require permanent connectivity to the Internet. This is a good choice if you connect to the Internet using a dial-up connection. we'll leave this option blank for our current configuration.
Address Canonification ---------------------- Usually sendmail will canonify all addresses by \ consulting a name server and resolving hosts to their fully qualified domain \ name (FQDN). Under special circumstances you may want to disable this \ feature, for example if this machine acts only as a mail gateway. Disable address canonification? [N] |
We will leave address canonification enabled. This is analogous to Exim's "qualify_domain" option.
SMTP Mailer ----------- If you plan to exchange mail with other computers, \ you should enable the SMTP mailer. Even if you don't plan to exchange \ mail with other computers, it is still a good idea to enable this so local \ programs can use it. Enable the SMTP mailer? [Y] |
As recommended, we will enable the SMTP mailer.
Masquerade Envelope ------------------- If you want mail envelopes (as well as mail \ headers) to appear to come from 'example.com', you can enable this option. Masquerade envelopes? [Y] |
This is useful if your mail server is called "mail.example.com", but you wish for your outgoing e-mail to appear as if it is coming from "example.com". You will normally want to enable this.
All Masquerade -------------- If enabled, this feature will cause recipient \ addresses to also appear to come from 'example.com'. Normally they get the \ local hostname. Although this may be right for ordinary users, \ it can break local aliases. For example, if you send to "localalias", the \ originating sendmail will find that alias and send to all members, but send \ the message with "To: localalias@example.com". Since that \ alias likely does not exist, replies will fail. Use this feature \ ONLY if you can guarantee that the ENTIRE namespace of 'example.com' \ supersets all the local entries. If in doubt, it is safe to leave \ this option disabled. All masquerade? [N] |
As recommended, we won't enable "all masquerade".
Don't masquerade mail to local users ----------------------------------- Send mail to local recipients without masquerading. Daunt masquerade local? [N] |
we'll also leave local masquerading disabled.
Always Add Domain ----------------- If enabled, the local host domain is included \ even on locally delivered mail. Normally it is not added unless it is \ already present. Always add domain? [N] |
This means that local only e-mail will not have the machine name or domain name appended to it; this is the default behavior, and should be left as is.
Mail Acceptance --------------- Sendmail is usually configured to accept mail \ for your mail name (example.com). However, under special \ circumstances you may not wish sendmail to do this, particularly \ if (and disabling this option generally requires that) mail for \ 'example.com' is MXed to another host. If in doubt, it is safe to \ leave this option enabled. Accept mail for 'example.com'? [Y] |
As directed, it is safe to simply leave this option enabled.
Alternate Names --------------- In addition to the canonical mail name \ 'example.com', you can add any number of additional alternate \ names to recognize for receiving mail. If other hosts are MXed to you for local mail, \ this is where you should list them. This list is saved into the file \ /etc/mail/local-host-names so it can be changed later as needed. To answer this question, separate each \ alternate name with a space, or answer 'NONE' to eliminate all alternate names. Alternate names? [] |
This option is similar to the "local_domains" option in Exim; it specifies a list of domain names which we consider to be "local" to this system; ie, we will accept and attempt to deliver e-mail destined for user@domain. Sendmail keeps a list of these domains in the "/etc/mail/local-host-names" files.
Trusted Users ------------- Sendmail allows a special group of users to \ set their envelope "From" address using the -f option without generating a \ warning message. If you have software such as Majordomo installed, you \ will want to include the usernames from such software here. Note that "root", \ "daemon", and "uucp" are included automatically and do not need to be specified. \ This list is saved into the file /etc/mail/trusted-users so it can be \ changed later as needed. To answer this question, separate each \ username with a space, or answer 'NONE' to eliminate all usernames. Trusted users? [] |
Leave this as the default, unless you have a specific reason to add a trusted user here. You will normally not need to do this, unless you are running mailing list software such as Majordomo.
Redirect Feature ---------------- If enabled, this feature will allow you to \ alias old names to <new-address>.REDIRECT, causing \ sendmail to return mail to the sender with an error but indicating the recipient's new address. Enable redirect option? [N] |
This is a nice option to enable if you have a large userbase with a high rate of turnover. we'll leave this option disabled for now though.
UUCP Addresses -------------- Sendmail can be configured to be smart \ about UUCP addresses, or it can do nothing special with UUCP addresses at all. \ If you care about UUCP, you will need to do some additional configuration, \ perhaps outside of this script. *** NOTE *** If you use a smart host or do \ any kind of forwarding (ie LUSER_RELAY and LOCAL_RELAY), it is \ important that you say "Yes" here to prevent a multi-level relay hole - \ unless you know for *SURE* that your smart-host does not deal with UUCP addresses. (Be safe and just say Y) Enable UUCP addressing? [Y] |
UUCP (Unix to Unix Copy Protocol) was the method used for transfering e-mail between Unix systems before the advent of the Internet. It is still very useful for handling e-mail for systems which do not have a permanent Internet connection. It's recommended that you leave this setting on.
Sticky Host ----------- If enabled, mail sent to 'user@example.com' is \ marked as "sticky" -- that is, the local addresses aren't \ matched against UDB and don't go through ruleset 5. This is used if you want \ a setup where 'user' is not necessarily the same as 'user@example.com', \ e.g., to make a distinct domain-wide namespace. \ If in doubt, it is safe to leave this option disabled. Enable sticky host option? [N] |
As recommended, you can leave this option disabled.
DNS --- If you are directly connected to the Internet and \ have access to a domain name server, you should enable this option. Enable DNS? [Y] |
If you are configuring a dial-up system, you can disable this option; otherwise, you should always have it enabled.
Best MX is Local ---------------- If enabled, this option will cause sendmail to accept \ mail as though locally addressed for any host that lists this machine as the \ best possible MX record. This generates additional DNS traffic, but should be \ OK for low-to-medium traffic hosts. N.B.: This feature is fundamentally \ incompatible with wildcard MX records. If you have a wildcard MX record that \ matches your domain, you cannot use this feature. Assume best MX is local? [N] |
We will leave this disabled for now.
Mailertable ----------- If enabled, this option causes sendmail to read \ mail routing rules from the text file /etc/mail/mailertable. This is needed \ for unusual mailers like ifmail and fax programs. More information is in \ /usr/share/doc/sendmail-doc/op/op.txt.gz. Enable the mailertable feature? [N] |
You should peruse the documentation found in "/usr/share/doc/sendmail-doc/op/op.txt.gz" to get an idea of what you can do here; but we can leave this disabled for now.
Sendmail Restricted Shell ------------------------- If enabled, this option causes sendmail to use the \ sendmail restricted shell program (smrsh) instead of /bin/sh for mailing to \ programs. This improves your ability to control what gets run via email; only \ those programs which appear in a special directory can be run. If you enable \ this option, please carefully read the smrsh(8) man page for further information. Use the Sendmail Restricted Shell (smrsh)? [Y] |
This is a desired security option for Sendmail, and should be enabled unless you have a very specific reason not to do so.
Mailer Name ----------- You can change the name used for internally \ generated outgoing messages. Usually this is 'MAILER-DAEMON' but it would \ not be unreasonable to change it to something such as 'postmaster'. Mailer name? [MAILER-DAEMON] |
Leave this as "MAILER-DAEMON".
Me Too ------ Sendmail normally excludes the sender address \ from group expansion. Enabling this option will cause the sender to be included. Enable me too option? [N] |
This option is self-explanatory; you can simply leave it at the default.
Message Timeouts ---------------- Sendmail will issue a warning message to the \ sender if it can't deliver a message within a reasonable amount of time. \ It will also send a failure notification and give up trying to deliver the \ message if it can't deliver it after an unreasonable amount of time. You can configure the message timeouts after \ which warning and failure notifications are sent. Sendmail's defaults are 4 \ hours and 5 days (4h/5d), respectively, but many people feel warnings after \ only 4 hours are premature. Message timeouts? [4h/5d] |
You can leave the values at the default, unless you are wanting to tweak your mail system.
Configuration Complete ---------------------- Advanced configuration, such as alternate mailers, \ the use of mailertables, Bitnet domains, and UUCP domains can be \ accomplished by manually editing the /etc/mail/sendmail.mc configuration file and rerunning '/usr/sbin/sendmailconfig' to generate the \ appropriate /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file. (Local changes made at the end of /etc/mail/sendmail.mc will be preserved by '/usr/sbin/sendmailconfig'.) |