[Chapter 1] 1.3 Three Important Parts

1.3 Three Important Parts

The sendmail program is actually composed of several parts, including programs, files, directories, and the services it provides. Its foundation is a configuration file that defines the location and behavior of these other parts and contains rules for rewriting addresses. A queue directory holds mail until it can be delivered. An aliases file allows alternative names for users and creation of mailing lists.

1.3.1 The Configuration File

The configuration file contains all the information sendmail needs to do its job. Within it you provide information, such as file locations, permissions, and modes of operation.

Rewriting rules and rule sets also appear in the configuration file. They transform a mail address into another form that may be required for delivery. They are perhaps the single most confusing aspect of the configuration file. Because the configuration file is designed to be fast for sendmail to read and parse, rules can look cryptic to humans:

R$+@$+          $:$1<@$2>      focus on domain
R$+<$+@$+>      $1$2<@$3>      move gaze right

But what appears to be complex is really just succinct. The R at the beginning of each line, for example, labels a rewrite rule. And the $+ expressions mean to match one or more parts of an address. With experience, such expressions (and indeed the configuration file as a whole) soon become meaningful.

1.3.2 The Queue

Not all mail messages can be delivered immediately. When delivery is delayed, sendmail must be able to save it for later transmission. The sendmail queue is a directory that holds mail until it can be delivered. A mail message may be queued:

When the destination machine is unreachable or down. The mail message will be delivered when the destination machine returns to service.
When a mail message has many recipients. Some mail messages may be successfully delivered, and others may not. Those that fail are queued for later delivery.
When a mail message is expensive. Expensive mail (such as mail sent over a long-distance phone line) can be queued for delivery when rates are lower.
When safety is of concern. The sendmail program can be configured to queue all mail messages, thus minimizing the risk of loss should the machine crash.

1.3.3 Aliases and Mailing Lists

Aliases allow mail that is sent to one address to be redirected to another address. They also allow mail to be appended to files or piped through programs, and they form the basis of mailing lists. The heart of aliasing is the aliases (5) file (often stored in database format for swifter lookups). Aliasing is also available to the individual user via a file called . forward in the user's home directory.