Bug#418910: Allow dsearch in other_hostnames

[Marc Haber]

On Fri, Apr 13, 2007 at 11:23:06AM +1000, Toby Chamberlain wrote:
> 1. Using dsearch in the domains_list is widespread and thus this issue 
> affects a lot of people

The domain lists in update-exim4.conf.conf have always been documented
as "a list of domains". Using dsearch-expessions there is not "a list
of domains", hence out of spec.

> 2. The code change is very simple, and is very unlikely to cause more 
> issues than it fixes

The code is already complex enough. Every new magic built into the
regular expressions is bound to break other people's tricks, and then
these will demand their own personal change in the packaging. This
doesn't scale.

> 3. You say it's "never been supported" but exim has supported dsearch in 
> the domains_list for a very long time (and appears to have been broken in 
> Debian when dc_other_hostnames was introduced)

update-exim4.conf.conf has nothing to do with exim configuration. It
is a configuration file for the program that generates Debian's exim
configuration. If I knew that people were using it to funnel complex
exim queries into the configuration, update-exim4.conf would have made
proper input sanitazion.

> 4. All the "exim virtual hosts" guides I found on Google use this method, 
> so first-timers will be confused

Using HOWTOs found on the Internet without understanding what one does
is harmful. Additionally, update-exim4.conf gives a quite clear error
message, which has especially introuced for HOWTO users.

> 5. You say its "more complication", but for those that don't need it there 
> is no complication - they just enter hostnames as they do now.

It is a complication for the people who maintain the code. I care
about _these_ people.

> 6. For those that use it, it will be simpler than having to maintain the 
> list manually.

It is not necessary to maintain the list manually. Just put it into
the appropriate place in the main exim configuration. There is a macro
mechanism available that even saves you from editing the big conffile.

> I hope you can see that the fix will
> a) only take a few minutes of your time,

It'll take a lot more time in the long run. One just does not apply a
fix and then forget about it.

> but benefit a large number of people

I doubt that it benefits them.

> b) restore standard functionality that is supported in the upstream exim 
> and previous Debian versions

Using complex dsearch expressions in what has always been definied as
"a list of domains" is not standard functionality. If you want to use
the upstream exim feature, use it in the exim configuration, not in
the update-exim4.conf configuration.

> c) make managing virtual domains on exim server simpler without 
> complicating other setups

It doesn't.

Greetings
Marc


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