Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

I am trying to find out if there is an obscure option available to
force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf queue control files.

The email system I take care of provides delivery by bzipping
appropriate queue files on a server designated as MX for a certain
subdomain, and transferring those files to either of two remote
locations several times per day via Inmarsat and ISDN. The reverse
happens at the two locations for outbound messages. Due to staffing
constraints, I would like to upgrade one server at a time from sendmail
version 8.9.3 to 8.13. In order to do this, I must either make 8.9.3
understand V8 qf files, or make 8.13 write compatible V2-style qf
control files. To the first end, I can make delivery work by doing the
following to qf files from the 8.13 version server:
change V8 to V2
delete line Aroot----------
delete line rRFC822--------
Otherwise, sendmail generates a "unsupported qf file version" or "bad
line" error. I could script this hack, but I would prefer to make
sendmail do this directly to keep this already complex system slightly
manageable. It is in severe want of re-engineering, but mgmt. won't
approve that until the upgrade is done.

Alternatively, is it possible to force the 8.9.3 server to ignore
lines/versions it does not like?

Thanks,
Isaiah

Re: Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

Isaiah wrote:

> I am trying to find out if there is an obscure option available to
> force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf queue control files.

[...]

> Alternatively, is it possible to force the 8.9.3 server to ignore
> lines/versions it does not like?

No. But can't you upgrade the remote system first? An 8.13.x sendmail
shouldn't have any trouble reading an 8.9.x queue file (I think...
naming conventions have changed, so maybe it will have trouble.)

Then you can upgrade the one creating the queue files afterwards.

Then you can fix the system properly -- this is a bizarre way of
transferring mail. :-)

Regards,

David.

Re: Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

Isaiah wrote:
> I am trying to find out if there is an obscure option available to
> force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf queue control files.
>
> The email system I take care of provides delivery by bzipping
> appropriate queue files on a server designated as MX for a certain
> subdomain, and transferring those files to either of two remote
> locations several times per day via Inmarsat and ISDN. [...]

Have you considered using UUCP?
It is good fit for such conditions (slow & costly links).
AFAIK UUCP is still used is such situations.

--
Andrzej [en:Andrew] Adam Filip anfi@priv.onet.pl anfi@xl.wp.pl

Re: Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

In article <1116364854.842386.300730@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
Isaiah wrote:
>I am trying to find out if there is an obscure option available to
>force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf queue control files.

No such option, but you have the source code so you can make it do
anything you want. Do you have anyone around that understands C?

>The email system I take care of provides delivery by bzipping
>appropriate queue files on a server designated as MX for a certain
>subdomain, and transferring those files to either of two remote
>locations several times per day via Inmarsat and ISDN. The reverse
>happens at the two locations for outbound messages. Due to staffing
>constraints, I would like to upgrade one server at a time from sendmail
>version 8.9.3 to 8.13. In order to do this, I must either make 8.9.3
>understand V8 qf files, or make 8.13 write compatible V2-style qf
>control files. To the first end, I can make delivery work by doing the
>following to qf files from the 8.13 version server:
>change V8 to V2
>delete line Aroot----------
>delete line rRFC822--------
>Otherwise, sendmail generates a "unsupported qf file version" or "bad
>line" error. I could script this hack, but I would prefer to make
>sendmail do this directly to keep this already complex system slightly
>manageable. It is in severe want of re-engineering, but mgmt. won't
>approve that until the upgrade is done.
>
>Alternatively, is it possible to force the 8.9.3 server to ignore
>lines/versions it does not like?
>
>Thanks,
>Isaiah
>


--
Tom Schulz
schulz@adi.com

Re: Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

I can upgrade two of three systems right now, the one at our main
office, and at one remote location. The other one will not have staff
available who could perform this and fix anything that breaks (it is
definitely a screwy system; mail sorting is done by perl instead of
sendmail. ick). So I need to make mail deliverable at the one remote
location which will still be running 8.9.3 (mail coming from there will
obviously be no problem); I guess I will test my hack some more and
make sure it works in any cases I can conceive of...
Thank you,
Isaiah

Re: Force sendmail 8.13 to write V2-style qf files .... is it possible?

I have thought about doing that, may end up still doing it. Seems it
would make a bass@ckwards situation even more screwy. Hopefully I can
make my qf-modification hack work correctly.

UUCP would make alot of sense I guess. Still runs me into a catch-22
though.