Re: [Nmh-workers] File upload frustration

[Ken Hornstein]

>| Return-Path isn't - that's only intended for mail delivery, messages should
>| never contain one of those until they're being delivered (and anyone who
>| believes they should should thank any mailer that corrects them).
>
>Letting users supply return-path is both reasonable and necessary.

Hm.  I did some research, and I'm going to have to side with kre on this
one.  RFC 2822 clearly states:

   A message-originating SMTP system SHOULD NOT send a message that
   already contains a Return-path header.  SMTP servers performing a
   relay function MUST NOT inspect the message data, and especially not
   to the extent needed to determine if Return-path headers are present.
   SMTP servers making final delivery MAY remove Return-path headers
   before adding their own.

I guess what nmh should be doing depends on whether or not it's using
SMTP or "pipe to the local MTA".  If it's the former, it definately
shouldn't allow Return-Path; if it's the latter, it _might_ be okay
(although I personally think it's a bit bogus - clearly Return-Path was
never meant to be used this way, and supporting a wacky qmail feature
just doesn't strike me as a good justification).

>On the one hand, your MTA is in charge of checking the input (because any
>user can talk directly to it.)  Mine (qmail) does, and so anything my MUA
>(MH) does is at best redundant.  But in this case MH is actively causing
>problems, because it isn't enforcing the correct rules.  qmail uses
>user-supplied return-path to set the envelope sender on outgoing messages
>(and removes the return-path header from the message.)  That's perfectly
>sensible, and very nice.

It seems like a knob that lets you adjust the SMTP envelope From
address is really what you want, rather than using Return-Path
particularly.  I'm open to suggestions as to the best way to implement
such a knob.  I think the functionality is valuable, certainly.

>I use it all the time to convince mailing list
>software that checks the envelope that I'm posting from the address they
>have on file, for example.

Is that why I have to approve every mail to nmh-workers from you? :-/

--Ken