Re: Postmaster 'best practices' query

[Gregory Hicks <ghicks () cadence com>]

> From: David Lesher <wb8foz () nrk com>
> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:33:56 -0400 (EDT)
>
> A query to help educate me. Feel free to flame away;
> the week is young.
>
> Every site should accept/respond to "postmaster" -- T/F?

True.  Required by RFC 822, para 6.3 "Reserved Address" and discussed
by RFC 2142 and RFC 2821.  Although RFC 822 does not specify "sites
running mail", 2142 does, in fact, specify that <postmaster> must exist
"...on all hosts that have an SMTP server."  Although RFC 2142 says
this, further reading of the RFC and supporting RFCs implies that the
"domain-name" must accept mail to <postmaster@domain-name> and forward
to the proper person/mailbox.

So I guess, if you are the proud owner of a domain, you must have
routing that supports <postmaster@domain>..."  In other words, ...
Connected to the internet with a domain name?  Must have a <postmaster>
mailbox.

> Or is it "Every site running mail"....

The RFC states
> Or every box running mail?

RFC states " on all hosts that have an SMTP server..."

> IOW: Which of the following are required vice recommended vice
> best practives, etc.
>
> a)    postmaster () example com
> b)    postmaster () mail example com
> c)    postmaster () wizzbang example com
> d)    postmaster () pop example com
> e)    postmaster () cisco example com

They should all be recognized *IF* each of these boxes run SMTP.
<postmaster () example com> should be recognized in any case.

Best practice?  I define postmaster == root == some person or group of
persons.

Does everyone do this?  Nope!  Not by a long shot.  I get flak over the
policy.

I can categorically state, however, that the machines where I get mail
from root seem to have less problems than those where root mail is
ignored.  Does this definition result in some unwanted email?  Yep.
But, the one message that says "I found this problem, please fix." is
worth all the chaff that just get deleted.  This is especially true
when the problem causes the machine to die in such a fashion that it
cannot be restarted in a 'sane' manner and the only clue is a message
from root...

YMMV.

> and most important to me: where to I go to justify the
> decisions on same?

Depends on the services you offer: