understaffing apparent due to mailer trouble

[Ying-Da Lee]

In article <BARNETT.91Apr19093301 at grymoire.crd.ge.com> barnett at crdgw1.ge.com writes:
>In article <1991Apr19.022330.22141 at csl.dl.nec.com> ylee at csl.dl.nec.com (Ying-Da Lee) writes:
>
>>So it does cover all the varieties
>>   you happened to mention. 
>
>But you must be using the same version of sendmail on each machine.

No. Each machine runs a sendmail program that came with the box.

>If not, I don't understand how you can use one sendmail.cf file for
>each of those machines. Sun, DEC, and HP have different sendmails with
>different features. DECNET mail, YP, name server support, etc.

Oh sure, if you want to or have to use the vendor-specific features
then obviously you can't.  I don't find the need for them so far.

>The point is: the vendors have added features to their sendmail
>executable. The documentation tells people how to set up their
>machines. Using a single version of the executable and/or the
>configuration file means
>	1) "extra" features will go away unless I add them 
>		to the sendmail sources.

Everybody has different priorities.  Being able to use all the
"extra" features doesn't come high on my list.  It obviously is
high on yours, fine.

>	2) The burden of support falls on my shoulder for every machine.

Ah, but it is much easier to do a better job than a typical
vendor's effort at setting up and documenting ONE sendmail.cf
so that our sys.admins can have a reasonable chance of understanding
it and helping each other out.  Besides, people using vendors's stock
versions are likely to turn to "in-house experts" like you or me for
their problems anyway rather than straight to the vendors.  Needless
to say, I prefer dealing with one version to dealing with many.

>Maybe both of those points are acceptable to you. They are not to me.

Obviously, and vice versa, and nothing's wrong with either.  This is
not one of those situations where there is a one and only right way
for all occasions and everything else invariably leads to hell.

	Ying-Da Lee			(214)518-3490
	C&C Software Development Lab
	NEC America			(214)518-3990 (FAX)
	ylee at csl.dl.nec.com
	uunet!necbsd!ylee