confMAPDEF

Which database libraries to use

Build macro

The confMAPDEF macro defines the database library support you want. The currently available choices are listed in Table 2-9. Details are given in the section indicated.

Table 2-9. Define for database support
Define	§	Aliases^[20]	Description
AUTO_NIS_ALIASES	AUTO_NIS_ALIASES	Yes	Add fall-back alias techniques
DNSMAP	dns	No	Support dns database maps (V8.12 and above)
HESIOD	HESIOD	Yes	Support hesiod database maps
LDAPMAP	LDAPMAP	Yes	Enable use of ldap databases
MAP_REGEX	MAP_REGEX	No	Enable matching to a map that is a regular expression (V8.9 and above)
MAP_NSD	nsd	No	Support for IRIX 6.5 name service maps (V8.10 and above)
NDBM	NDBM	Yes	Support Unix ndbm(3) databases^[21]
NETINFO	NETINFO	Yes	Support NeXT netinfo(3) databases
NEWDB	NEWDB	Yes	Support db(3), both hash and btree forms
NIS	NIS	Yes	Support nis maps
NISPLUS	NISPLUS	Yes	Support nisplus maps
PH_MAP	ph	No	UIUC ph database (V8.10 and above)
UDB_DEFAULT_SPEC	UDB_DEFAULT_SPEC	n/a	Default user database location
USERDB	USERDB	n/a	Support the user database

^[20] If yes, this database format supports aliasing.

^[21] Note that the old dbm(3) form of database is no longer supported.

If neither NDBM nor NEWDB are defined, sendmail will read the aliases into its symbol table every time it starts. This will make sendmail crawl every time it starts up and is not recommended.

External databases can be extremely valuable, especially in providing easy solutions for complex problems. Therefore, we recommend that you include a definition for all databases that your system supports, even if you don't immediately see a need for them.

Here we illustrate the selection of two forms of database:^[22]

^[22] Note that Build will automatically define -DNEWDB for you, if it can find the db(3) library (see confLIBSEARCH, confLIBSEARCH). You can suppress this automatic behavior (and the automatic search for a resolver library) by adding a -S command-line switch when you run Build (-S).

APPENDDEF(`confMAPDEF', `-DNEWDB -DNDBM')

When these two forms are selected, old databases are read by using NDBM, but new databases are created by using NEWDB. Read sendmail/README for details about and exceptions to this transition process.

Table 2-9. Define for database support