Configuring FreeBSD 6.2 to use sendmail for sending only

[Bill Moran]

In response to L Goodwin <xrayv19 at yahoo.com>:
> 
> --- Bill Moran <wmoran at potentialtech.com> wrote:
> 
> > L Goodwin <xrayv19 at yahoo.com> 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.
> > 
> > Why?  What is your reason for overcomplicating this
> > task by refusing
> > to use the facilities built into the system?
> > 
> > > Still looking for specifics on setting this up and
> > a
> > > bourne shell script example that sends an email.
> > > Thanks!
> > 
> > Use mail(1).  That's what it's there for.
> Huh? I want to use cron to run the script, but want
> more control over when and where email gets sent. The
> business reasons are sound. Anyway, a script that
> sends email is not complicated, so how can I be
> overcomplicating anything?

Two lines of code vs. 1 line is overcomplicated.

While your description of the reasons is somewhat vague, I still feel
that cron's internal mailer can handle the chore.  What control over
who gets the mail do you need that can't be accomplished either by
setting an env variable in the crontab, or by adding aliases to
sendmail's config?

> Also, recent posts to freebsd-questions on the subject
> of sending email from cron seemed to favor having the
> script handle the mailing instead of cron.

I haven't seen those mails, and can't comment on them.

> Anyway, I
> do not want the client to receive an email if the
> backup fails.

Then don't send the mail to the client, just change who it goes to:
MAILTO=someone_not_the_client at somedomain.com

> Bill, I'm just trying to figure stuff out here. I'm
> sorry if my ignorance offends you.
> I don't know how others feel about it, but I'd prefer
> not to get negative, condescending replies to my
> sincerely aimed questions. After all, this is a forum
> for questions, isn't it?

Please don't mistake terseness for "condescending".  I didn't feel I
was being condescending, and did not intend to be.  What I did was:
a) Comment that I feel you're taking the wrong approach to solving
   your problem.
b) Give you a direct answer.

What more could you ask for?  I apologize if my language implied a
negative tone.  It was not intended that way.

-- 
Bill Moran
http://www.potentialtech.com