Sendmail vs postfix

[Robert Brockway]

On Wed, 9 Nov 2005, Ansar Mohammed wrote:

> I am basically looking for a netcraft type report on number of hosts
> worldwide.

Any large site could extract info on the MTAs they communicate with. 
Smaller sites could do this too but the results would be less accurate.
I'm not sure if anyone is maintaining Netcraft style figures.

Sendmail would still have the largest *nix MTA install base as so many 
commercial unixen offer nothing else.

Now if you are wanting to talk about which MTA to use...

Here is my take.  I admin all of the "Big 4" MTAs commercially: Sendmail, 
Exim, Qmail and Postfix.  In the case of Sendmail I've been doing this for 
about 10 years.  I used to run Sendmail on my personal boxes but a few 
years ago 3 remote security exploits in as any weeks was a bit much for 
me.  I migrated to Postfix.  The company was already using Postfix.

Postfix (with a default config) is inclined to temp fail mail in a few 
cases where Sendmail will perm fail mail.  I prefer the Postfix approach.
In its defence Sendmail security has come a long way in the last few 
years.

If you are thinking of which MTA to use and don't have prior experience 
with any I would recommend them in the following order:

1. Postfix
2. Exim
3. Sendmail
4. Qmail

Others will no doubt have them in a different order :)

Rob

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