Bug#295391: exim4 configuration generator is on drugs

[Marc Haber]

On Tue, Feb 15, 2005 at 03:16:35PM +0000, Ian Jackson wrote:
> I tried to use the configuration generator and:
> 
>  * I answered `no' to `Split configuration into small files?' but:
>     balvenie:~# find /etc/exim4 -type f | wc -l
>     39
>     balvenie:~#

What is your suggestion to handle these files, which are used to build
/etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template at package build time and might be used
on the target system to re-generate the template on user's request,
instead?

>  * I answered
>       mail sent by smarthost; no local mail
>       system mail name: ncipher.com
>       IP-addresses to listen on: 127.0.0.1
>       Other destinations for which mail is accepted: [single space]
>       Hide local mail name in outgoing mail?  no
>       Machine handling [...] (smarthost):  mail.ncipher.com
>       Keep number of DNS-queries minimal (Dial-on-Demand)?  No
>    and when I say
>       echo | exim iwj
>    it does this

it should give a "command not found", as the binary is exim4, and is
not in a normal user's path.

> 
> 2005-02-15 15:11:31 1D14MM-0007S9-DJ <= iwj@ncipher.com U=iwj P=local S=261
> 2005-02-15 15:11:31 1D14MM-0007S9-DJ == iwj@ncipher.com R=hub_user defer (-17): error in redirect data: domain missing or malformed in "iwj@"

What does exim -d -bt iwj say? On my reference box, iwj gets qualified
to iwj@ncipher.com and later an "Unrouteable address".

> Tony Finch, one of Philip Hazel's colleagues, said this to me in IRC:
>  <Diziet> The exim4 configuration generator is COMPLETELY BARKING.
>  <fanf2> diziet: yes. shun.

Well, Tony is not known for his high opinion about the Debian exim 4
packages. I have, however, not received a single word of constructive
criticism from him ever, and I doubt that he ever took a closer look
at Debian policy or at the Debian exim4 packages.

Rest assured that the current debconf configuration scheme has been
pretty extensively thought out, and we offer numerous ways to turn all
the magic off and replace the magic with a more old-fashioned
approach. We are, however, open to constructive criticism.

> This abomination should be thrown away and rewritten to do as it
> promises, and not to generate broken configurations.

I am happily awaiting your patches. If you're just going to curse
about our work without having suggestions how to do things better,
kindly jump into the next lake.

Greetings
Marc

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