Configuring FreeBSD 6.2 to use sendmail for sending only

[L Goodwin]

--- Derek Ragona <derek at computinginnovations.com>
wrote:

> At 07:01 PM 8/30/2007, L Goodwin wrote:
> >Chuck, I'd prefer to have the script handle the
> >mailing  so I can test the script (with email send)
> >manually, independent of cron.
> >
> >Still looking for specifics on setting this up and
> a
> >bourne shell script example that sends an email.
> >Thanks!
> >
> >--- Chuck Swiger <cswiger at mac.com> wrote:
> >
> > > On Aug 30, 2007, at 3:12 PM, L Goodwin wrote:
> > > > I wrote a shell script that backs up the file
> > > server.
> > > > I would like to modify this script to email a
> > > > notification message to a public email
> address.
> > >
> > > Use cron, which will automatically email out the
> > > results of your
> > > script to any email address you like.
> > >
> > > > Seems like sendmail should do the job nicely,
> but
> > > I've never set it
> > > > up before.
> > > >
> > > > What specific steps (including
> network-specific)
> > > need
> > > > to be performed to get sendmail working for
> > > outgoing
> > > > mail only in a secure manner?
> > >
> > > Please see the fine Handbook:
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/mail.html
> > >
> > > Although, it is entirely reasonable to consider
> > > using Postfix instead.
> > >
> > > --
> > > -Chuck
> > >
> > >
> 
> Here is a sample script that you can use as a
> template:
=======================================================
> #!/bin/sh
> 
> #define any commands you will use
> MAILFILE=mymailfile
> MAILFILE2=mymailfile2
> SENDTO=derek at computinginnovations.com
> CCTO=derek at computinginnovations.com
> MAIL=/usr/bin/mail
> AWK=/usr/bin/awk
> CAT=/bin/cat
> TR=/usr/bin/tr
> TEMPDIR=/tmp
> 
> #make sure we have paths
> export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin
> 
> cd $TEMPDIR
> $CAT /etc/passwd | $AWK -F : '{ print $5 }' >
> $MAILFILE
> $TR -cd "\012-\172" < $MAILFILE > $MAILFILE2
> $MAIL -s "My list of real user names subject"
> $SENDTO -c $CCTO < $MAILFILE2
=======================================================

Derek, your example brings up another question.

Should I be calling "mail" or "sendmail", and which
mail or sendmail should I invoke if there is more than
one of either? Chuck's example calls sendmail in a
path that does not exist on my system (my sendmail is
in /usr/sbin/). I usually invoke whichever one is
first in my path.

One more question. Is it ok to run the script (and
send the email) as user root, or should I create a
user account with more limited permissions -- if so,
what limits should I set?


       
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