[LAU] Daemons, daemons...kill those daemons.

[Bengt Gördén]

Den Monday 15 June 2009 14.09.21 skrev Paul Davis:
> On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 1:14 AM, Fernando
>
> Lopez-Lezcano<nando at ccrma.stanford.edu> wrote:
> > Oh yeah. I never could really find out or understand how to deal with
> > that. Maybe I did not try hard enough. Right now thinking about it I am
> > reminded of unraveling rewriting rules in sendmail.cf (oh well, no, it
> > was not that bad :-)
>
> *NOTHING* could ever be that bad!
>
> even the syntax of asoundrc is a stunning example of everything one
> could ever wish for in a configuration system when compared to
> sendmail rewriting rules. i guess the difference was that back in the
> day, it seemed normal to have to learn stuff like that, whereas now
> ... kids these days!

Much have been said about sendmail. Most of it true :-). The Unix-haters 
handbook (1994) dedicated a chapter about trouble with sendmail, and this 
questionable title. "Sendmail: The Vietnam of Berkeley Unix".

Here's an excerpt from the book:

  "Sendmail was built while the Internet mail handling systems were in flux.
  As a result, it had to be programmable so that it could handle any possible
  changes in the standards. Delve into the mysteries of sendmail’s unread-
  able sendmail.cf files and you’ll discover ways of rewiring sendmail’s
  insides so that “@#$@$^%<<<@#) at @$%#^!” is a valid e-mail address.
  That was great in 1985. In 1994, the Internet mail standards have been
  decided upon and such flexibility is no longer needed. Nevertheless, all of
  sendmail’s rope is still there, ready to make a hangman’s knot, should any-
  one have a sudden urge."



/bengan