Developer Documentation
Fao, Sean
I am trying to find any documentation for a developer wanting to work on
sendmail.
I have looked around sendmail.org with no luck for documentation, only
source.
I could read the source line-by-line but that isn't nearly as efficient.
I would really appreciate anybody that could point me in the right
direction. Thank you in advance.
Sean
Christopher Browne
The source _is_ the documentation.
Note that Sendmail is a package with "a lot of history." It's pretty
old software, with structure dating back quite a long time, and many
patches on top of that. It supports mail transports that are no
longer in widespread use (e.g. - UUCP as well as mainframe protocols),
which complicates things, to be sure.
It is entirely possible that you would find it an easier task to look
at one of the more recently developed MTAs such as Exim, Postfix,
smail, or qmail, as they have smaller code bases (typically being half
the size of Sendmail, or less) and don't need the legacy support of
some of the obscure old stuff Sendmail does.
You'd still be left with the challenges of finding the kind of
documentation you want, but that's likely a given for just about
any choice out there...
--
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Rules of the Evil Overlord #221. My force-field generators will be
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Fao, Sean
news:m3adta6...@salesman.cbbrowne.com...
> The world rejoiced as "Fao, Sean" <encela...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I am trying to find any documentation for a developer wanting to work on
> > sendmail.
> >
> > I have looked around sendmail.org with no luck for documentation, only
> > source.
> >
> > I could read the source line-by-line but that isn't nearly as efficient.
> >
> > I would really appreciate anybody that could point me in the right
> > direction. Thank you in advance.
>
> The source _is_ the documentation.
>
> Note that Sendmail is a package with "a lot of history." It's pretty
> old software, with structure dating back quite a long time, and many
> patches on top of that. It supports mail transports that are no
> longer in widespread use (e.g. - UUCP as well as mainframe protocols),
> which complicates things, to be sure.
>
> It is entirely possible that you would find it an easier task to look
> at one of the more recently developed MTAs such as Exim, Postfix,
> smail, or qmail, as they have smaller code bases (typically being half
> the size of Sendmail, or less) and don't need the legacy support of
> some of the obscure old stuff Sendmail does.
>
> You'd still be left with the challenges of finding the kind of
> documentation you want, but that's likely a given for just about
> any choice out there...
> --
I had pretty much assumed that the source was the documentation; but, was
hoping it wasn't when I saw how large it was.
I don't have any experience with the other alternatives you mentioned. I
will look into them though, I am starting a pretty major project and the
more experience I get the better.
Thanks a lot for the quick response.
Sean
Claus Aßmann
> I am trying to find any documentation for a developer wanting to work on
> sendmail.
> I have looked around sendmail.org with no luck for documentation, only
> source.
> I could read the source line-by-line but that isn't nearly as efficient.
Well, that's all we have...
What are you trying to do?
Depending on your interests, we can maybe give you some hints.
--
If you feel the urgent wish to send me a courtesy copy of a Usenet
posting, then make sure it's recognizable as such!
The FAQ: http://www.sendmail.org/faq/ Before you ask.
Fao, Sean
"Claus Aßmann" <ca+sendmail(-no-copies-please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de>
wrote in message news:a6rffc$oq0$1...@zardoc.esmtp.org...
I'm writing my own mail transport protocol as a learning experience. I
wanted to integrate it into sendmail on two computers and send messages
between them.
At the moment it's only for fun and I don't expect it to turn into anything
major.
I'll keep in touch with this newsgroup and let you know of my progress and
questions. Thank you.
Sean
Per Hedeland
<encela...@yahoo.com> writes:
>"Claus Aßmann" <ca+sendmail(-no-copies-please)@mine.informatik.uni-kiel.de>
>wrote in message news:a6rffc$oq0$1...@zardoc.esmtp.org...
>> Fao, Sean wrote:
>>
>> > I am trying to find any documentation for a developer wanting to work on
>> > sendmail.
>>
>> > I have looked around sendmail.org with no luck for documentation, only
>> > source.
>>
>> > I could read the source line-by-line but that isn't nearly as efficient.
>>
>> Well, that's all we have...
>>
>> What are you trying to do?
>>
>> Depending on your interests, we can maybe give you some hints.
>I'm writing my own mail transport protocol as a learning experience. I
>wanted to integrate it into sendmail on two computers and send messages
>between them.
Well, the first hint in that case is that you shouldn't look at the
sendmail source at all, just create an appropriate mailer definition in
your configuration. I.e. use external program(s), invoked by sendmail
when sending, invoking sendmail when receiving.
It's not the absolutely most efficient way, but it doesn't sound like
this would be a concern for you, and it's how sendmail handles "all"
mail transport protocols except SMTP (OK, LMTP is also "internal", it
has to be of course - but it's almost SMTP anyway:-). In short, it's the
standard way.
--Per Hedeland
p...@bluetail.com
Andrzej Filip
>[...]
>I'm writing my own mail transport protocol as a learning experience. I
>wanted to integrate it into sendmail on two computers and send messages
>between them.
>
>At the moment it's only for fun and I don't expect it to turn into anything
>major.
>
>I'll keep in touch with this newsgroup and let you know of my progress and
>questions. Thank you.
A good way may be to create LMTP/"your protocol" converter program:
* sendmail speaks to your program using LMTP
* your program converts it to "your protocol"
P.S.
As you have lerned sendmail is an open source program but it is not open
development program [IMHO].
--
Andrzej (Andrew) A. Filip an...@box43.pl http://www.polbox.com/a/anfi
366A 5DD7 7707 379C 9251 32AE C948 0BD2 7D99 688A expires: 2003-01-25
I may disagree with the following *random epigram* :
Familiarity breeds contempt -- and children.
-- Mark Twain
Fao, Sean
news:a6s9sh$2cu8$3...@hedeland.org...
What if I were worried about the most efficient way?
Sean
Per Hedeland
<encela...@yahoo.com> writes:
>"Per Hedeland" <p...@bluetail.com> wrote in message
>news:a6s9sh$2cu8$3...@hedeland.org...
>>
>> this would be a concern for you, and it's how sendmail handles "all"
>> mail transport protocols except SMTP (OK, LMTP is also "internal", it
>> has to be of course - but it's almost SMTP anyway:-). In short, it's the
>> standard way.
>
>What if I were worried about the most efficient way?
Then you'd probably want to do it a different way. You said that you
were "writing a mail transport protocol as a learning experience", I
naturally assumed that you wanted to learn about "writing a mail
transport protocol" - if what you want to learn is really the sendmail
source code, you obviously don't want to avoid modifying it - but adding
a new transport protocol is probably not the most relevant or meaningful
thing to do in that case.
--Per Hedeland
p...@bluetail.com