I have used and admined slackware for almost 10 years, but
I'm no sendmail expert. I have configured it's config file, sendmail.cf, both directly edting it, and by creating my own custom sendmail.mc files, and compiling them with m4, enabling me to have the sendmail-milter filter out both spam and viruses, etc, using spamassassasin and clamav on my main email server, which hosts email for a little over 300 users.

My question to anybody who might be a sendmail experet is this:

Do I have to upgrade the sendmail.cf package whenever I upgrade the base sendmail package when there is a security upgrade available?

I always upgrade critical packages when security updates are announced, and was just wondering if I really should upgrade the .cf package at the same time. I don' belive there should be any reason, but again, I'm no sendmail expert! I have found in past upgrades that even upgrading the .cf package doesn't seem to touch my actual /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file, with my custom settings.

Any and all thoughts, suggestions, comments, etc., are appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Jamie
JR-Computers
jamie@jr-computers.com

As to why your original config files aren't affected, it's because the new ones are installed with a .new extension. So they'll be a sendmail.cf and a sendmail.cf.new in /etc/mail. The same happens with ssh upgrades. I presume you have to edit the .new files yourself and then remove the .new part.

Thanks for your reply simcox1. Though nice to know why my custom config file doesn't get touched, that's not my question.

I'd like to know if anybody has any good reason as to why I would or should have to upgrade the sendmail-cf package when upgrading to a new base sendmail pachage when a security upgrade becomes available?

Is there any need or reason, be it security, compatablitity, or whatever??? Would it be best to upgrade that package, and re-generate my custom .cf file?

I am not sure, but I would think as long as the version remains in the current 8.13 series of sendmail, I wouldn't think the config would change at all. But, I am no sendmail expert...

So, does anybody know?????

Thanks again for any replies, opinions, comments, etc...

Although I'm not a sendmail expert either, I think I can answer your question regarding new config files in general.

I believe you've already touched on the answer yourself: compatibility.

New versions of software might offer new options which must be configured. They might also retire old options. Old, invalid options may prevent the program from starting. Thy can also cause stability or unexpected behavior if the new version does not handle old options the same. So it's a good idea to keep the config file up-to-date with the software you're running.

If you run -current, you might notice that upgrading packages places new config files in /etc.

If you're very curious, you might check what is changing in the config file before replacing your current one with the new one.

Garry