OT: replacement for sendmail FEATURE(`redirect')

[Ken A]

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Is there something here to prevent mail loops?
If not, you might want to add something to do that.
Nothing like 2 poorly configured autoresponders!

Ken A
Pacific.Net


Jeff A. Earickson wrote:
> Gang,
>
> If any of you use sendmail's REDIRECT feature to bounce "User has moved"
> messages back for closed accounts, then you probably know that the feature
> is lame beyond words.  It returns a message that is inscrutable to
> everybody
> but mail gurus.  While I've used the feature at my site for a while, most
> people hate it because of the returned messages.
>
> I wrote a program mailer "redirect.pl" in perl (attached) and a little
> converter program for your aliases file (attached) to convert the old
> style REDIRECTs to my program mailer.
>
> I have redirect.pl in production at my site now and people are much
> happier.  The perl script also offers a "-f" option to forward the
> message on to the new address, as well as return a redirect message
> back to the sender.  While the forward option works, it is hit-or-miss
> with attachments.
>
> If you want to see how it works in real life, please send email to
> trobbins at colby.edu.  This address will not forward messages.
>
> I offer this tool to my fellow MailScanner users in the hope you find it
> useful.  Fixes, suggestions, info on use with other mailers (eg Postfix)
> would be appreciated.
>
> Jeff Earickson
> Colby College
>
> ------------------------ MailScanner list ------------------------
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>
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>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> #!/usr/bin/perl
> #
> #---returns a nice looking customized redirect message
> #---instead of the ugly "Subject: Returned mail" that sendmail returns
> #
> #---Usage:
> #
> #   For a user, put the following in your aliases file:
> #
> #   joeblow:"| redirect.pl [-df] joeblow new_address at somewhere.com"
> #
> # where "joeblow" is the old account at your site, "new_address at somewhere.com"
> # is their address to advertise at their new site, and redirect.pl is this
> # script.  If you use smrsh with sendmail, you will have to modify the contents
> # of your /var/adm/sm.bin directory.  "man smrsh" for details.
> #
> # The optional flags are:
> #   -d for debug mode (write debug output to a file in /tmp),
> #   -f for forward the email to the new address as well as send the
> #      redirect message back to the sender (forward+redirect)
> #
> # Note: does not write to stdout, just has different exit codes
> #    forwarding attachments is also dicey.
> #
> # Written by Jeff Earickson, Colby College (jaearick at colby.edu) 5/27/05
>
> #---see search.cpan.org for these modules
> use Getopt::Std;        # for command line parsing
> use Mail::MboxParser;   # parses the mailbox
> use Mail::Sender;       # SMTP connectivity to resend email
>
> #---parse the command line
> getopts('df') or exit 251;
>
> ###########################################################
> #---stuff you will need to customize for your site
> #---also see the msgbody here-is document below
> ###########################################################
>
> #---your domain name
> $mydomain = "colby.edu";
>
> #---your SMTP server
> $mysmtp = "colby.edu";
>
> #---who the redirect message should come from, eg postmaster
> $postmaster = "postmaster\@$mydomain";
>
> #---Subject: line for the redirect message
> $redirect_subject = "Colby user $ARGV[0]\@$mydomain has moved";
>
> ###########################################################
>
> #---open a debug file if needed
> if($opt_d)
> {
>       open(DEBUG,"> /tmp/redirect.debug") or exit 252;
>       print DEBUG "DEBUG=== redirect.pl: @ARGV\n";
>       if($opt_f)
>       {
>               print DEBUG "DEBUG=== forwarding flag turned on\n";
>       }
>       print DEBUG "\nDEBUG=== The email message is:\n";
> }
>
> #---open a temporary file to store the message in
> #---and stuff the email message coming from stdin into the file
> open(MBOX,"> /tmp/redirect.mbox.$$") or exit 253;
> while(<STDIN>)
> {
>       if($opt_d)
>       {
>               print DEBUG $_;
>       }
>       print MBOX $_;
> }
> close(MBOX);
>
> #---options set for Mail::MboxParser
> #---caching not used
> my $parseropts = {
>     enable_cache    => 0,
>     enable_grep     => 1,
> };
>
> #---parse the temporary file
> my $mb = Mail::MboxParser->new("/tmp/redirect.mbox.$$",
>                                 decode     => 'NEVER',
>                                 parseropts => $parseropts);
>
> #---process every msg in the mailbox, should be one msg
> $count=0;
> for my $msg ($mb->get_messages)
> {
>       $count++;
>       $orig_subject = $msg->header->{subject};
>       $orig_from = $msg->header->{from};
>       $orig_to = $msg->header->{to};
>       $orig_body = $msg->body;
>
>       #---debug mode: tell will would happen
>       if($opt_d)
>       {
>               print DEBUG "\nDEBUG=== Parsing the Message...\n";
>               print DEBUG "From: ",$orig_from,"\n";
>               print DEBUG "To: ",  $orig_to,"\n";
>               print DEBUG "Subject: ",$orig_subject,"\n";
>               print DEBUG "\nDEBUG=== The Message Body\n";
>               print DEBUG $orig_body;
>       }
> }
>
> if($opt_d)
> {
>       print DEBUG "\nProcessed $count messages in mailbox\n";
> }
>
> ###########################################################
> #---this is the body of the message that gets sent back
>
> $redirect_msg = << "EOF";
> Hi,
> The person using the e-mail address \"$ARGV[0]\@colby.edu\" has
> left the College for good.  Before leaving, $ARGV[0] wanted you
> to know that his/her new e-mail address is:
>
>     $ARGV[1]
>
> If you are writing to $ARGV[0] about Colby business-related issues,
> then please consult Colby's online personnel directory at:
>
>     http://www.colby.edu/directory_cs/index.cfm
>
> to find the correct department or person to write to.
>
> EOF
>
> #----tack on a "we also delivered it" if forward option set
> if($opt_f)
> {
> $redirect_msg .= << "EOF2"
> Please note the new address above.  Colby's mail server has also
> forwarded you message to $ARGV[1] as a courtesy.
> ==> However, do NOT count on this happening in the future. <==
> If your message had attachments, they may or may not be useable
> by the recipient.  You should retransmit directly to the address
> above.  Good luck.
>
> Thank You,
> Colby Postmaster
> EOF2
> }
> #---otherwise tell the sender that msg was not deleivered.
> else
> {
> $redirect_msg .= << "EOF3"
> Please note the new address above, and then resend your message
> (if appropriate) with the subject:
>
>     $orig_subject
>
> to the new e-mail address.  YOUR MESSAGE WAS NOT DELIVERED.
>
> Thank You,
> Colby Postmaster
> EOF3
> }
>
> ###########################################################
>
> #---compose the redirect message and send it
> if(ref((new Mail::Sender)->MailMsg( {
>       to => $orig_from,
>       from => $postmaster,
>       subject => $redirect_subject,
>       smtp => $mysmtp,
>       msg => $redirect_msg } ) ) )
> {
>       $retcode = 0;
> }
> else
> {
>       $retcode = 254;
> }
>
> #---if we are going to forward the message too, then do it
> if($opt_f)
> {
>       $forward_subject = $orig_subject . " (forwarded)";
>
>       if($opt_d)
>       {
>               print DEBUG "\nDEBUG=== What the forward will look like...\n";
>               print DEBUG "From: ",$orig_from,"\n";
>               print DEBUG "To:   ",$ARGV[1],"\n";
>               print DEBUG "Subject: ",$forward_subject,"\n";
>               print DEBUG $orig_body;
>               print DEBUG "===\n";
>       }
>
>       if(ref((new Mail::Sender)->MailMsg( {
>               to => $ARGV[1],
>               from => $orig_from,
>               subject => $forward_subject,
>               smtp => $mysmtp,
>               msg => $orig_body } ) ) )
>       {
>               $retcode = 0;
>       }
>       else
>       {
>               $retcode = 255;
>       }
> }
>
> if($opt_d)
> {
>       close(DEBUG);
> }
> unlink("/tmp/redirect.mbox.$$");
> exit $retcode;
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> #!/usr/bin/perl
> #
> #---convert an alias file with old .REDIRECT style stuff
> #---to my redirect.pl format
> #
>
> open(IN,"< $ARGV[0]") or die "cannot open $ARGV[0]: $!";
> open(OUT,"> $ARGV[1]") or die "cannot open $ARGV[1]: $!";
>
> while(<IN>)
> {
>       chomp;
>
>       if( $_ =~ /^(\S+):(\S+).REDIRECT$/)
>       {
>               print OUT "$1:\"| redirect.pl $1 $2\"\n";
>       }
>       else
>       {
>               print OUT "$_\n";
>       }
> }
> close(IN);
> close(OUT);

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