GNU bug report logs - #41096
message-sendmail-f-is-evil has hard to understand docstring

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se>
Cc: Glenn Morris <rgm <at> gnu.org>, 41096 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#41096: message-sendmail-f-is-evil has hard to understand docstring
Date: Tue, 05 May 2020 20:13:59 +0200

Stefan Kangas <stefan <at> marxist.se> writes:

> The thing is that I don't understand the docstring as a whole.  The
> first part is fine, but the joke confuses me and makes me wonder what
> I missed.
>
> I think it would be enough to add a short explanatory note for why
> this option exists at the end, for example that some sendmail
> alternatives do not support "-f".   I only hope that wouldn't ruin the
> joke...?  :-)

Yeah, I don't understand the doc string, either.

There's also feedmail-sendmail-f-doesnt-sell-me-out, which is a jokey
name along the same lines...

But what -f username does is set the MAIL FROM value when doing the SMTP
negotiation.  USERNAME will then end up in the Received line in the
message.  Some MTAs don't allow this to be set willy-nilly by everybody,
but some do.  The doc string of the feedmail variable has an exegesis on
the subject...

I think the doc string should just be rewritten to attempt less humour.  :-)

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

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.