sendmail.cf - resolv.conf - nsswitch.conf

[Manuales]

Hi ...
I'm configuring mail command to send messages from the server ...

I got it !!! but ..
I'd like to understand well how are related the files:
/etc/mail/sendmail.cf
/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/nsswitch.conf
/etc/hosts
with the commands:
nslookup, netstat -rn
with the paths:
/var/spool/mqueue ...

Please let me know how ther are related for understanding how should be those files related with the information ...

Thanks a lot

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Manuales:

Unix 'sendmail' uses DNS to function. See the comments in the 'sendmail.cf' file.

To use DNS for IP-to-name and name-to-IP address translation, you need to specify the "nameserver" that offers this information. This is the function of '/etc/resolv.conf'. See the manpages for 'resolver(4)'.

The '/etc/nsswitch.conf' file tells where to look; in what order; and what to do when an answer isn't given. For example:

hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue] dns

...says for hostname lookups, consult the '/etc/hosts' file first, and if the entry doesn't exist, consult DNS.

The 'nslookup' utility allows you to translater IP addresses for their DNS names or vice versa.

See the various manpages for 'nsswitch.conf(4)' and 'resolver(4)' for more information.

The 'netstat' command uses DNS unless you specify '-n' to have it report network addresses as numbers.

The '/var/spool/mqueue' files hold mail messages until they are delivered.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Prasanth Vattoly]

hi manuales,

if you feel the send-mail configuration is a complex task . you can use a tool ( webmin ) for the same. its really fantastic and you can download it from internet .


Regards
Prasanth

[Timothy P. Jackson]

Just some info on "webmin". It does have some very good tools but it does require Perl5. I looks for it when you install it.

Tim