sendmail? - is there a linux equivalent to ".forward"
 

In classic Unix mail, one could have a ".forward" file in your home directory.
It was possible to do simple forwarding this way, or to also a command like:
#!/local/bin/myforward_program
It has been a while since I used this so the exact syntax may be off.

But the idea that you could create a local mail account that did something special was pretty easy - e.g.

a linux accout such as "support" might have a .forward that
1) posted the issue into some Database
and
2) sent email to one or more other real people

This daemon was VERY useful and I could really use it. I did some "man" searching but see nothing like it.

~/.forward is handled by Procmail.

...and you could also do these things with Sendmail's Alias file (pipe to application, forward to other or multiple recipients)