Re: Changing the default for `send-mail-function'

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Richard Stallman writes:

 >     No, it's not about using multiple protocols for sending mail.  It's
 >     about using a non-mail protocol for the initial submission only,
 > 
 > It looks like we are failing to communicate.  I'm talking about how
 > to configure Emacs for sending mail.

You're right.  I have no interest in that, because IMHO given the mail
system as it is and will be for the next 5 years, it's a waste of time
to try to do better than the current system.  I'm surprised that you
could think otherwise (though thinking about it calmly I suppose I
could have anticipated this), but "de gustibus non est disputandum."

FWIW, I agree with the several reasons given by Antoine why attempting
to detect the mailer at "make install" time is even less likely to
work well than trying to configure when the user actually wants to
send mail.  And one more: "make install" is very likely to be executed
on a build host at debian.org or redhat.com, rather than on the target
host.  (Maybe I'm missing something, but if so, I'll let somebody else
figure out what.)

 > I think you are responding to other suggestions that were solely
 > about sending Emacs bug reports.

Yup.  If somebody doesn't already have their host set up for sending
email from Emacs, then M-x report-emacs-bug is IMHO the only good
reason so far proposed for worrying about sending mail from Emacs.
Since you think otherwise, I apologize for wasting your time rebutting
mistargeted criticism.

Sincerely,