Re: Changing the default for `send-mail-function'

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

> Sending mail could set up a timer to check in 15 seconds for a bounce
> message.  If one arrives, and it indicates that there is no outgoing
> mail service, Emacs could set up a buffer for sending that message
> again, then invite you to configure smtpmail before resending it.

I do not know, in general, how to check for a bounce message on a system
that has not been configured for email reading.  If you're thinking of
just checking /var/mail/<user> -- yes, that will work for some systems,
but not systems where the spool is somewhere else.

It sounds very fragile, and fragility is what we don't want.

> A second step might be: instead of configuring Emacs to send via smtp,
> help the user configure Exim to do it.  That way, scripts that want to
> send a message will work too.

I think that's a bad idea.

Times have moved on.  All other modern mail readers have moved on from
trying to use the local MTA to send email out, because the world has
changed.  These days, it's way more likely that you need to talk to your
ISPs local servers directly, and you need to fill out some credentials
tied to your account.

This isn't practical on an MTA-based solution, which is why all modern
mail readers, on all architectures, have independently come to the
conclusion that they have to have the SMTP configuration inside the
application. 

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/