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Title: sendmail: Creating your own `/etc/sendmail.cf`

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sendmail: Creating your own `/etc/sendmail.cf`

Request

You want to create your own sendmail.cf .

Procedure

Starting with SuSE Linux 5.0, utilities for the creation of almost arbitrary /etc/sendmail.cf can be found after the installation of the package sendmail in the directory /usr/share/sendmail. In older versions these files are contained in the package sendcf. After the installation of the package they canbe found in the directory /usr/doc/packages/sendmail/ resp. /etc/sendmail.config/ in SuSE Linux 4.4.x .

m4 is being used as macro language. Below the directory cf/ you can find predefined m4-driver files for various operating systems.

You can create arbitraty /etc/sendmail.cf below cf/ by creating your own driver-file. Use the command

  m4 < [YourOwnFile] > sendmail.cf

Please read first the README under /usr/doc/packages/sendmail/ and /usr/share/sendmail. After every change please restart sendmail with the command

/sbin/init.d/sendmail restart

or in older versions than 6.0 with

/sbin/init.d/sendmail stop
/sbin/init.d/sendmail start

Examples:

Please note, that we won't guaranty, that the following examples are correct or will fit any particular purpose.

sendmail.cf for the masquerading of a machines name by a domain, that is being served by a mail server.

include(`../m4/cf.m4')
VERSIONID(`linux for smtp-only setup')dnl
OSTYPE(linux)dnl
define(`confDEF_USER_ID', `daemon:daemon')dnl
define(`PROCMAIL_MAILER_PATH', `/usr/bin/procmail')dnl
define(`QUEUE_DIR', `/var/mqueue')dnl
define(`confTRUSTED_USERS', `wwwrun')dnl
FEATURE(local_procmail)dnl
FEATURE(nouucp)dnl
FEATURE(always_add_domain)dnl
FEATURE(allmasquerade)dnl
MAILER(local)dnl
MAILER(procmail)dnl
MAILER(smtp)dnl

sendmail.cf for the usage of a switch file, that lets you use sendmail without a DNS-server :

include(`../m4/cf.m4')
VERSIONID(`linux for smtp-only setup')dnl
OSTYPE(linux)dnl
define(`confDEF_USER_ID', `daemon:daemon')dnl
define(`PROCMAIL_MAILER_PATH', `/usr/bin/procmail')dnl
define(`QUEUE_DIR', `/var/mqueue')dnl
define(`confTRUSTED_USERS', `wwwrun')dnl
define(`confSERVICE_SWITCH_FILE',`/etc/service.switch')dnl
define(`confHOSTS_FILE',`/etc/hosts')dnl
FEATURE(local_procmail)dnl
FEATURE(nodns)dnl
FEATURE(nocanonify)dnl
FEATURE(nouucp)dnl
FEATURE(always_add_domain)dnl
MAILER(local)dnl
MAILER(procmail)dnl
MAILER(smtp)dnl

In order to use this example, you also need a file /etc/service.switch with the following content :

hosts      files
aliases    files

When editing the /etc/service.switch or sendmails configuration files, it is important to separate the columns by tabulation stops, not by blanks.

sendmail.cf for a UUCP server, that delivers mails via /etc/mailertable :

include(`../m4/cf.m4')
VERSIONID(`linux for setup with uucp which uses domain names')dnl
OSTYPE(linux)dnl
define(`confDEF_USER_ID', `daemon:daemon')dnl
define(`PROCMAIL_MAILER_PATH', `/usr/bin/procmail')dnl
define(`QUEUE_DIR', `/var/mqueue')dnl
define(`confTRUSTED_USERS', `wwwrun')dnl
FEATURE(local_procmail)dnl
FEATURE(nodns)dnl
FEATURE(nocanonify)dnl
FEATURE(always_add_domain)dnl
FEATURE(mailertable)dnl
MAILER(local)dnl
MAILER(procmail)dnl
MAILER(smtp)dnl
MAILER(uucp)dnl

For a server no line

define(`SMART_HOST', uucp-dom:otheruucphost)dnl

may be included. The syntax of the /etc/mail/mailertable is documented in the file README below /usr/share/sendmail/ or in S.u.S.E.-Linux 4.4.x below /etc/sendmail.config/. Please note, that columns must be separated by tabulation stops instead of blanks.

Hint:

For versions of SuSE Linux 5.3 and later :

The /etc/sendmail.cf gets created by the m4-macros stored below /usr/share/sendmail. The README in that directory contains further information on how to adapt the sendmail configuration to your local system. If you want to create a completely new sendmail.cf, make sure the variable SENDMAIL_TYPE in /etc/rc.config is set to no. This can be achieved easily with YaST or manually with an editor. In the latter case please don't forget to call /sbin/SuSEconfig after you've edited the file. Please also read the chapter ``The SuSE boot concept'' in the manual before you make any changes.

Older versions than SuSE Linux 5.3 :

Please note, that according to the settings in /etc/rc.config YaST might overwrite /etc/sendmail.cf with an existing /etc/sendmail.smtp.cf or /etc/sendmail.uucp.cf using /sbin/SuSEconfig. Therefore please change either /etc/sendmail.smtp.cf or /etc/sendmail.uucp.cf or set the variable SENDMAIL_TYPE in /etc/rc.config to no in order to use your own /etc/sendmail.cf . This can be achieved easily with YaST or manually with an editor. In the latter case please don't forget to call /sbin/SuSEconfig after you've edited the file. Please also read the chapter ``The SuSE boot concept'' in the manual before you make any changes.

See also:

sendmail with SMTP, but without DNS

sendmail: Editing /etc/sendmail.cf

Hostname, Domainname? What's that ?

Keywords: SENDMAIL, SENDMAIL.CF