[Popcon-developers] Bug#264593: popularity-contest: it should be possible to configure user which invokes sendmail

[Martin Dickopp]

On Mon, Aug 09, 2004 at 11:58:28PM +0200, Bill Allombert wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 09, 2004 at 04:57:59PM +0200, Martin Dickopp wrote:
> > Package: popularity-contest
> > Version: 1.23
> > Severity: wishlist
> > Tags: patch
> > 
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I think it is reasonable to configure the MTA so that "root" cannot
> > send mail to the outside world.  Therefore, I would like to be able
> > to configure a user as which popcon invokes the MTA.  A patch to add
> > this functionality is included.
> 
> I don't think it is reasonnable to configure the MTA that way, and
> such users can modify cron.weekly to fit their need given cron.weekly
> is a conffile, but you can try to convince me otherwise.

Except for popcon, I have never encountered a situation (either in
GNU/Linux or in traditional Unix variants) where it was necessary to
allow "root" to send mail to the outside world.  The "root" account
should only be used for system administration, which doesn't include
sending mails (except locally to the admin).

That said, I don't really want to convince you.  But I hope that, even
you think such a configuration is completely unreasonable, you realize
that there might be others user who agree with my position.  Therefore,
my hope is that you accept the patch which strictly reduces the amount
of enforced policy.  I think that in the light of Social Contract #4,
you should not reject a patch solely because it gives users more freedom
to set local policies, including policies you disagree with.

My apologies if I have misunderstood you and you dislike the patch
for other reasons.

Cheers,
Martin