[Mailman-Users] Using domain name alias in "From"address for list

[Wally Hartshorn]

Ah! Okay, that sounds like the problem. Oh bother. Okay, sounds like I
have to bug the guys in the back room to fiddle with the DNS entry.
Thanks!

>>> Brad Knowles <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org> 10/21/2004 2:46:05 PM >>>
At 2:10 PM -0500 2004-10-21, Wally Hartshorn wrote:

>  Everything looks about ready to go except that the address that
appears
>  in the "From" line from is the real name of the machine rather than
the
>  alias. In other words, the real machine name might be
>  uglyrealname.domain.com, which has a DNS alias of
>  prettyalias.domain.com.

    When you say "alias" you mean this is done via a CNAME record,
right?

    If so, then don't do that.  The RFCs specify that any CNAME found 
in a mail header has to be replaced with the canonical name that is 
referenced by the alias, which results in precisely the kind of 
problem you appear to be having.  Try replacing the CNAME record with 
an "A" record that refers to the same IP address.

>  Is there any way I can change that, either through a config setting
or
>  by modifying the Python code?

    Nope.  This kind of thing is done at the MTA level, not within 
Mailman.  Moreover, while you might be able to configure your MTA to 
violate this rule, you can't do the same for all the other MTAs in 
the world, and once the name is changed the damage can't be un-done.

    Change your DNS to remove the CNAME alias and replace that with 
an "A" record which references the same IP address, and you should be 
okay.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org>

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

     -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), reply of the Pennsylvania
     Assembly to the Governor, November 11, 1755

   SAGE member since 1995.  See <http://www.sage.org/> for more info.