<mail> command missing?

[Derek Broughton]

Mike Bird wrote:

> On Fri, 2005-12-16 at 07:42, Derek Broughton wrote:
>> But Postfix is huge overkill.  If (*)ubuntu-desktop required
>> <mail-transport-agent> (the minimum mailx would seem to need is esmtp)
>> and
>> recommended postfix, I'd be happy enough.  Removing mailx is not "dumbing
>> down", it's crippling.
> 
> I've never used ESMTP so I'll quote from the package description -

I haven't either. It's irrelevant, I was just pointing out that _I think_
it's the least you would need to install to make mailx work.  The point is
you definitely _don't_ need Postfix. fwiw, I think esmtp-run is the MDA
component, but I could be wrong.

> Postfix can "do it all".

We don't _need_ "it all", and I for one don't want it.  I don't want
Postfix, I don't need Postfix, and I'm pleased that it's no longer required
for Ubuntu.  I just think they went too far.  If - as I already suggested -
the *ubuntu-desktop packages required <mail-transport-agent> then you could
have postfix, I could have masqmail, and anybody else could use any MTA
they wanted.

> Postfix is a reliable solution.  While not internally simple, it
> is simple to install and very reliable.
> 
> Let us not start breaking new installations by targetting Ubuntu
> at a mythical lowest common denominator.  

You don't break new installations if you require _an_ MTA.  If the depends
is "<mail-transport-agent> | postfix" you'll get postfix if you don't
already have an MTA that provides mail-transport-agent.  It's not rocket
science.

I don't understand this talk of "dumbing down" or "lower common denominator"
- that's not what happens when you remove mailx.  afaict, this is just a
mistake, not an attempt to dumb it down.
-- 
derek