/etc/aliases and .forward - what is the difference?

[stfaprc]

we have an address that is expanded out to several users. It seems that sendmail does processes the address the same regardless of whether the address is 'defined' in /etc/aliases or in the address's /home/.forward file.

The goal is to have the address's list expanded out only after the message passes through the system wide procmailrc, which I thought could be accomplished by using the .forward instead of an entry in the /etc/aliases .

 

[PcLinuxGuru]

A .forward is normally used on a physical account while your Aliases file doesn't require a physical account.

For example:

Your UserA and own the domain MyDomain.com and instead of creating a user called info on the *nix box and adding a .forward to UserA@mydomain.com you could just add the alias to the alias file.

So all mail sent to info@mydomain.com is actually received by UserA@mydomain.com

 

[stfaprc]

So how can I have the names expansion only occur after the message has passed the anti-spam guantlet ?

 

[PcLinuxGuru]

Guess I am not understanding what you are saying... mail is received and deffered to what you have in your alias's table to .forward which either ends up in a mail box or forwarded to an external address.

Procmail is at the users end meaning each account would be setup for the filtering individually or that is how I am used to seeing it.

So the process would be:

Sendmail Recieves Email -> Drops the mail in the users mailbox -> Users Procmail config sorts it

 

[stfaprc]

I don't want the address expanded unless it passes through all the rules that are setup in sendmail and procmail.

 

[elgrandeperro]

Have you thought of using procmail as your delivery agent?

http://servers.digitaldaze.com/extensions/procmail/filtering.html