Re: sending through a remote MTA with ssh
On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 10:00:26AM +0100, Louis-David Mitterrand wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 08:45:59AM +0000, Chris Green wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 12:24:18AM +0100, Stanislaw Halik wrote:
> > > Louis-David Mitterrand <vindex+lists-mutt-users@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > > To submit mail directly through a remote MTA one could use the
> > > > following
> > > > (with a passwordless ssh access to the server):
> > >
> > > > set sendmail="ssh my.remote-mta.com '/usr/sbin/sendmail -oem -oi'"
> > >
> > > > Is there any catch in doing this?
> > >
> > > if the password prompt is shown, you'll have to manually kill/^C the ssh
> > > client.
> >
> > I use this method to send mail out of mutt. There are a couple of
> > issues:-
> >
> > It only works 'transparently' if you have set up passwordless
> > login to the remote system in question. This may or may not be
> > practical.
>
> I use the pam_ssh module to load my key into the ssh-agent from the xdm
> (idem gdm/kdm) prompt, thus avoiding a second password entry (only works
> if your unix password is the same as your ssh key passphrase).
>
I use it from a work computer which is secure enough for me to simply
set up secure keys and allow passwordless login without using
ssh_agent. Since I stay logged on to my work computer all day using
ssh_agent would add nothing in the way of security.
> > Unless you set sendmail_wait mutt will wait for the remote
> > sendmail to complete before returning control to you. This can
> > take a while. If you *do* set sendmail_wait then you won't know
> > if the remote sendmail has failed.
>
> About sendmail_wait the latest manual states:
>
> Note that if you specify a value other than 0, the output of the child
> process will be put in a temporary file. If there is some error, you will
> be informed as to where to find the output.
>
> So if there is a problem you will be informed but not just now :)
>
How will you be informeed? The remote system can't send you an
E-Mail. I went through this a while ago (see the mutt archives) and
this notification of failure is not of any real use. You'd have to go
and check on the remote system I believe.
--
Chris Green (chris@xxxxxxxxxxx)
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."