Bug#263530: exim4: Configuration is far too obscure!

[Greg Kochanski]

Package: exim4
Version: 4.34-4
Severity: normal

The configuration for exim4 is too obscure and fragile.
Some debian update happened on Aug 1, and some of my mail
was redirected from maildir_home to mail_spool,
silently accumulating there for two weeks!

Yes, an ideal sysadmin would have noticed,
but it's really not suitable for any
configuration that is
(a) nonstandard and (b) lacking a full-time administrator.


-- Package-specific info:
Exim version 4.34 #1 built 27-Jul-2004 18:06:50
Copyright (c) University of Cambridge 2004
Berkeley DB: Sleepycat Software: Berkeley DB 3.2.9: (May 26, 2004)
Support for: iconv() IPv6 GnuTLS
Lookups: lsearch wildlsearch nwildlsearch iplsearch cdb dbm dbmnz dsearch nis nis0 passwd
Authenticators: cram_md5 plaintext
Routers: accept dnslookup ipliteral manualroute queryprogram redirect
Transports: appendfile/maildir/mailstore autoreply lmtp pipe smtp
Fixed never_users: 0
Configuration file is /var/lib/exim4/config.autogenerated
# /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf
#
# Edit this file and /etc/mailname by hand and execute update-exim4.conf
# yourself or use 'dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config'

dc_eximconfig_configtype='smarthost'
dc_other_hostnames='gpk.wftp.org : gpk.homeunix.net : kochanski.org : pribble.com : kochibble.com'
dc_local_interfaces=''
dc_readhost='kochanski.org'
dc_relay_domains=''
dc_minimaldns='false'
dc_relay_nets='192.168.1.0/25 : 192.168.1.128/25 : 127.0.0.1'
dc_smarthost='smtp.ntlworld.com'
CFILEMODE='644'
dc_use_split_config='true'
dc_hide_mailname='true'
mailname:kochanski.org

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 3.1
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.4.26
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C

Versions of packages exim4 depends on:
ii  exim4-base                    4.34-4     EXperimental Internal Mailer -- a 
ii  exim4-daemon-light            4.34-4     Lightweight version of the Exim (v

-- no debconf information