Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!rice!sun-spots-request
From: eplunix!das@harvard.harvard.edu (David Steffens)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: What is sendmail.mx on SunOS4.0?
Message-ID: <8811221839.AA00285@rice.edu>
Date: 2 Dec 88 22:13:27 GMT
Sender: usenet@rice.edu
Organization: Rice University, Houston, Texas
Lines: 26
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
Original-Date: Tue, 22 Nov 88 13:37:02 est
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 7, Issue 33, message 10 of 12

While disabling "debug" mode on sendmail, I noticed another program called
/usr/lib/sendmail.mx which is also setuid root.  Being the curious type, I
ran strings and discovered that it, too, has what appears to be a "debug"
mode.  There seems to be no info on what this program is or does, although
my search of the available sendmail documentation may not have been
exhaustive.

Therefore, I have sent a request to hotline@sun for answers to the
following questions:

	1) What is sendmail.mx?
	2) Under what conditions is it executed?
	3) Should "debug" be disabled on it as well?

In the mean time, I have disabled "debug" mode on sendmail.mx using the
same method as for sendmail (just to be safe) and I thought Sun-Spots
readers might like to know...
--
{harvard,mit-eddie,think}!eplunix!das		David Allan Steffens
243 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114		Eaton-Peabody Laboratory
(617) 573-3748					Mass. Eye & Ear Infirmary

[[ "sendmail.mx" is very likely a version of sendmail that understands and
processes MX name resolver packets.  I would venture to say that it is
never run directly, but is there so that those who need it can replace the
standard sendmail with it.  --wnl ]]