I use Mandrake 10.1, and I have noticed that my 'sendmail' program sometimes fails either on startup or shutdown or both. (sendmail: sendmail shutdown failed).

I use Thunderbird as a mail client and I just wanted to know if sendmail is necessary for using this (or other) mail clients, and if it is a serious problem if it does not startup correctly.

Quick easy answer:

Kill it. Take it out of your default runlevel to keep it from starting, you don't need it.

Long drawn out answer:

If you don't use your linux box as a mail server and comletely rely on someone else (like your ISP) to do all your mail business for you (meaning when you setup Thunderbird you put in something like 'mail.verizon.net' both as your SMTP and your incoming server) then you don't need to use Sendmail.

Cool

The only help I can give is that I tried to installed sendmail and the only thing I got whas to send emails but not to receive them. So, I ooked into the Internet for others mail servers (MTAs) and I found postfix. So I decided to install it. The result was a mail server with fantastic resutls, very easy to configure and it wokrs pretty well. Although I don't know your needs, I do recommend it to anyone.

I use FC2 and I used an utility that came with it to switch between sendmail and postfix graphically. Just select you default mail server (sendmail or postfix) and click Accept. The rest of the process should be seamless.

I hope to have been helpful for you.

Good luck!

Many thanks for your prompt replies.

I only use my machine for personal productivity, not as a mail server. I use an ISP for mail.

In case anyone else is interested, I stopped 'sendmail' from starting-up through 'Mandrake Control Center', 'System' section --> 'Services' --> Sendmail (untick 'On boot' box)

Just an (maybe unuseable) advise:

uninstall it to save space: "rpm -e sendmail" hehe

Always a good idea, a 'secure' idea.

Cool