[Alpine-info] nAlPineForum: Sending (SMTP) Servers

[Geoff Shang]

On Sat, 23 Apr 2011, M.RossARR wrote:


> This concerns any version of Alpine as I can determine. Pine too! However, PC 

> Re-Alpine 2.01 in Windows XP is in use!

>

> Problem 1:

>

> I notice that while any sending (SMTP) server can be used for sending any 

> email address in Pine/Alpine, many receiving servers (like U.Washington.edu 

> Alpine Forum operates on) will reject an email as bogus if the sending server 

> does not match the sending email address origin. I do not complain, 

> understanding this is used to defeat spam/junk mail. Yet...

>

> What good is that Pine/Alpine feature due to this problem?


It's probably less useful than it was.  Nevertheless, if you have only one 
Email address, it saves you having to create a role for it.  You simply 
put in your address details and your SMTP server and you're good to go.


> Is there another way, or something I am missing in configuration or setting 

> up the header data, to enable use of a single sending (SMTP) server for 

> multiple incoming accounts? As setup & accessed by one session of 

> Pine/Alpine? So a receiving server will not reject it as bogus? In other 

> words...


If you are authenticating to the SMTP server, you may be able to send out 
mail with any From line.  Whether receiving MTAs will be happy about this 
is another matter.  You may also be able to persuade them to be happy 
about it by using the Sender header with the address associated with the 
SMTP server in question.  But really, roles with the correct SMTP server 
is the right way to do this.


> Can multiple sending (SMTP) servers be setup for use like multiple incoming 

> servers are setup for use in a multiple email account Pine/Alpine session? I 

> am aware of the Role Use-SMTP-Server entry!


How would this work?  How would Alpine know which server to use in a given 
situation without using roles?


> Problem 2:

>

> While I can create a Role & specify a sending (SMTP) server, if I save it, 

> postpone it to send later, the specified sending server is lost, & the 

> default Setup-Config sending server is used. That defeats the intent of being 

> able to specify a sending server. I cannot by-pass the problem. Postpone 

> should not make such a change without asking! Right? What is missing? Is 

> there a work-around?


Not sure why this happens for you, but it doesn't happen for me and has 
not done so for some time, if it ever did.  I use roles all the time (I'm 
not even sure if my default SMTP server even works) and I have no trouble 
postponing and resuming.

Geoff.