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17.1 Overall Syntax

The sendmail.cf file is line-oriented, with one configuration command per line. Each configuration command consists of a single letter[1] that must begin a line. Each letter is followed by other information as required by the purpose of the particular command.

[1] A quick bit of trivia: initially, there was almost nothing in the configuration file except R rules (and there was only one rule set). Eric recalls adding M and O fairly quickly. Commands such as K and V came quite late.

In addition to commands, the configuration file can also have lines that begin with a # to form a comment line, or with a tab or space character to form a continuation line. A list of all legal characters that can begin a line in the configuration file is shown in Table 17-1.

Table 17-1. sendmail.cf configuration commands

Command

§

Version

Description

#

Section 17.2

All

A comment line, ignored

space

Section 17.4

All

Continue the previous line

tab

Section 17.4

All

Continue the previous line

C

Section 22.1

All

Define a class macro

D

Section 21.3

All

Define a sendmail macro

E

Section 10.2.1

V8.7 and above

Environment for agents

F

Section 22.1

All

Define a class macro from a file or a pipe

H

Section 25.1

All

Define a header

K

Section 23.2

V8.1 and above

Create a keyed map entry

L

 

Obsolete

Extended load average

M

Section 20.1

All

Define a mail delivery agent

O

Section 24.3

All

Define an option

P

Section 25.10

All

Define delivery priorities

Q

Section 11.4.2

V8.12 and above

Declare queue groups

R

Section 18.2

All

Define a transformation rule

S

Section 19.1

All

Declare a rule-set start

T

Section 10.8.1.1

All

Declare trusted users (ignored V8.1-V8.6)

V

Section 17.5

V8.1 and above

Version of configuration file

X

Section 7.6.2

V8.12 and above

Define a mail filter for use

Most configuration commands are so complex that each requires a chapter or two of its own. A few, however, are simple. In this chapter we will describe the simple ones: comments, continuation lines, and the V (version) command.

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