[Oberon] 2: Have we got email send authenticate ability ?

[W B Hacker]

easlab at absamail.co.za wrote:

> the pop-authentication which was done just before the send request.

I wouldn't count on smtp-after-pop-auth beign around much longer 
- we dropped it half a year-ago, (and POP with it in favor of 
IMAP for all-hands so thier webmail and desktop don't confuse..).


> 
> As may be reasonably assumed, the transmit authentication, uses the
> same pair [ID & password] as the receive.
>

Most do.  Our (Exim+PostgreSQL) servers do not. Unrelated to 
each other and unrelated to the email address. Reduces chance of 
compromise. But that is uncommon.

> So by just doing receive authentication before transmitting, it seems
> ok.
> 

'For a while longer'

'Future' changes are highly likely, as they are already in-work:

1) More and more 'connectivity' IPS' are diverting port 25 to 
their-servers-only. Else blocking.

2) port 465, the legacy smtps (SSL or 'forced always TLS', no 
EHLO) submission port, has been re-ssigned by IANA to a Cisco 
proprietary protocol WEF February 2006.

Some ISP's may also intercept this also, so a 'non-standard' 
submission port on an MTA/MSA may be required to support 
'travelers'.  Else webmail on 443.

Likewise, the MUA needs to be able to work to whatever port it 
is told to use, and SSL/TLS when and where told.

3) Port 587 with TLS is now the 'recommended' submission port. 
Expect auth to be required, but EHLO can select STARTTLS 
(recommended) or work unencrypted unless the MTA/MSA sysadmin 
forces TLS-only for auth (as we do).

> It's nice the way N-O has all the facilities transparently available
> just below the surface, that can be easily re-arranged, instead of
> hidden deep behind cartoons & eye-candy ?
> 
> == Chris Glur.
> 

ACK.  Upcoming trends will soon call on that nice feature to 
accomodate changes.  ;-)

IF you must experiment on a 'fat' OS, with an 'eye candy' MUA, 
the one built in to Mozilla Suite has all the requisite bells 
and whistles, and is about a cross-plaform as eye-candy gets.

Nice to have something else to us as a 'control' testbed.

> Now I'll see it I can post this ?
>


Works fine ... ;-)

Bill Hacker