Re: Default for the envelope From in smtpmail.el

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Glenn Morris <rgm@gnu.org>
> Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2012 21:15:10 -0400
> Cc: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
> 
> Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen wrote:
> 
> > Currently, the default envelope from address (aka. SMTP "MAIL FROM") in
> > smtpmail is `user-mail-address'.  The user can change this by changing
> > some rather confusing variables called `mail-specify-envelope-from' and
> > `mail-envelope-from'.
> >
> > I wonder whether a more sensible default here would be to use the From:
> > address in the buffer being sent.  Some MTAs filter on the MAIL FROM,
> > and only allow access based on a filter, and people adjust their From:
> > headers to reflect that.
> 
> This was an eminently sensible suggestion from July last year.
> Please could it be now be implemented.
> 
> The current default is dumb and can lead to confusing failure modes
> ("553 From: address not verified").

Sorry, I cannot figure this out, neither the nature of the problem nor
the details of the proposed solution.  Can you spell that out?

In particular, is the proposal to stop using user-mail-address, or
stop using it in smtpmail.el only?  If the former, I certainly object,
because at least in my setup it is the source of the 'From:' header in
the first place.

If the proposal is for not using it only in smtpmail.el, then we need
to verify that there are no valid use cases without a 'From:' header
in the current buffer.  Or maybe use 'From:' if it exists and fall
back on the existing machinery if not.