[sf-lug] SF-LUG & MX records, etc. (sf-lug at lists.sf-lug.org, or ... )

[Rick Moen]

Michael Paoli and Jim Stockford:  We're ready to test, if you care to
point 'lists.svlug.org' at my IP address.



I wrote:


> My upthread comment (that MX reference records shouldn't exist for
> domains that don't handle SMTP) was before Daniel reminded me of this
> idea y'all discused earlier.  Obviously, in that case, the domain
> _would_ be handling SMTP.

Mystery solved.

Upthread, I said 'FWIW, I've grepped through exim4's conffiles, and it
looks like the MTA doesn't care what it's addressed as.' Specifically, I
did:

grep -r linuxmafia.com /etc/exim4/
grep -r lists.linuxgazette.net /etc/exim4

...and both came up null.  Which lead to my surmise 'it
looks like the MTA doesn't care what it's addressed as' -- because, if
it cared, then linuxmafia.com and lists.linuxgazette.net would be
mentioned in Exim4's conffiles, right?

But, actually, turns out, no.

'lists.linuxgazette.net' is no longer present because I removed it some
years ago, and forgot having done so.  Around 2010, the domain owner
decided to re-host _Linux Gazette's_ mailing lists on his own machine,
and changed the DNS.  Some time after that, I apparently got around to
removing the FQDN from Exim4's 'accept mail for these' setting.

'linuxmafia.com' isn't mentioned inside the /etc/exim4/ tree because
it gets parsed from /etc/mailname.

So, it turns out Exim4 _does_ care what it's addressed as.  The list of 
FQDNs _other_ than the one in /etc/mailname is in
/etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf:

---<begin>---

# /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf
#
# Edit this file and /etc/mailname by hand and execute update-exim4.conf
# yourself or use 'dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config'
#
# Please note that this is _not_ a dpkg-conffile and that automatic changes
# to this file might happen. The code handling this will honor your local
# changes, so this is usually fine, but will break local schemes that mess
# around with multiple versions of the file.
#
# update-exim4.conf uses this file to determine variable values to replace
# the DEBCONFsomethingDEBCONF strings in the configuration template files.
#
# Most settings found in here do have corresponding questions in the
# Debconf configuration, but not all of them.
#
# This is a Debian specific file

dc_eximconfig_configtype='internet'
dc_other_hostnames='unixmercenary.net:substancez.com:mail.substancez.com:sf-lug.org:lists.sf-lug.org:sf-lug.com:lists.sf-lug.com'
dc_local_interfaces='198.144.195.186:127.0.0.1'
dc_readhost=''
dc_relay_domains=''
dc_minimaldns='false'
dc_relay_nets='76.191.131.7'
dc_smarthost=''
CFILEMODE='644'
dc_use_split_config='true'
dc_hide_mailname=''
dc_mailname_in_oh='true'
dc_localdelivery='mail_spool'

---<begin>---

As you will see, I've added these:

sf-lug.org
lists.sf-lug.org
sf-lug.com
lists.sf-lug.com

Daniel Gimpelevich (visiting this evening for the CABAL 
meeting) also owns domain that we added to that list for 
testing purposes (that is now no longer in that list).

I re-ran /usr/sbin/update-exim4.conf, which parses the above information
from /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf and (following those
instructions) constructs Exim4's runtime configuration file,
/var/lib/exim4/config.autogenerated.  Then, I restarted Exim4, and
Daniel sent a test message to mailbox 'danielg4@[hisdomain]' -- 
and we confirmed that it reaches his danielg4 account on linuxmafia.com.
Thus, adding the four domains above (as I've done) means my 
server's MTA _will_ now accept mail from any of those FQDNs _if_ those 
FQDNs are pointed to my server's IP in the public DNS.

All _four_ of the FQDNs cited are now accepted so that y'all may 
use any of them.  E.g., at one point, Jim wanted it to be just
'sf-lug.org', later discussion suggesting 'lists.sf-lug.org' (which
sounds better to me).  But you may now use any.



I have set up temporary mailing list 'test2' on my server.  After your 
DNS change (pointing your chosen FQDN to my IP), Daniel will see if he
can send mail to test2 at lists.sf-lug.org (or whichever FQDN you elect) 
and have it send him his subscriber copy.

If that works, I'll adjust this mailing list to list
'sf-lug at lists.sf-lug.org' (r whichever FQDN you elect) in Mailman as the
mailing list's 'preferred address'.  FYI, addressing it as
sf-lug at linuxmafia.com will continue to work, too.

Pleaes let us-all know what you do with the DNS.  Thanks.