Re: [Nmh-workers] Re: big thanks

[Ken Hornstein]

>>>It would be nice if nmh supported SMTP/TLS.
>
>> Well, someone just needs to write the code.
>
>Unfortunately, I did a quick look at the nmh code to see
>what it may take to add TLS support using OpenSSL.  It
>did not look it would be a trivial task.  May require a
>considerable rewriting and/or reorganization of code.

Hm.  I just took a VERY quick look at the OpenSSL API tutorial, and
it actually doesn't seem terrible.  I abstracted a lot of buffering
code out when I did the SASL work, so I think with a bit of fiddling
it wouldn't be too bad.  I wouldn't call it "trivial", but I wouldn't
call it terrible.  A Google for "openssl programming" popped up a
few tutorials which covered what is necessary (it looks like you
can ignore 90% of the OpenSSL API).

>I'd need to do more research to see if the task can
>be done simplier, but have not had the time.  One
>possible alternative approach is to write a small proxy
>server to bridge nmh with an SMTP/TLS MTS.  I
>was hoping someone may have written such a beast,
>but I could not find anything when I searched for one
>some time back.

Actually, I have a proxy server like that ... except that (as you might
have guessed) it implements SASL :-/

>As for testing, Gmail provides free SMTP/TLS service
>for those with a gmail account, so setting up a
>up a server is not required.

Well, the prime dismotivator is more "eh, I wouldn't use it" more than
anything.  Yes, I know gmail accounts are free, but the last thing I need
is another email account.

--Ken