I was curious, so I looked it up:

"When the delivery SMTP server makes the "final delivery" of a
message, it inserts a return-path line at the beginning of the mail
data.  This use of return-path is required; mail systems MUST support
it.  The return-path line preserves the information in the <reverse-
path> from the MAIL command.  Here, final delivery means the message
has left the SMTP environment.  Normally, this would mean it had been
delivered to the destination user or an associated mail drop, but in
some cases it may be further processed and transmitted by another
mail system.

It is possible for the mailbox in the return path to be different
from the actual sender's mailbox, for example, if error responses are
to be delivered to a special error handling mailbox rather than to
the message sender.  When mailing lists are involved, this
arrangement is common and useful as a means of directing errors to
the list maintainer rather than the message originator.

The text above implies that the final mail data will begin with a
return path line, followed by one or more time stamp lines.  These
lines will be followed by the mail data headers and body [32]."

It seems that the last server in the chain should add the header instead
of the client, so I was wrong there. Allthough I don't see how the last
server should aquire the address for the return-path: if it i desired
that this address is different than the Envelope from or the From:
header.

-- 
Regards,

Terrence Koeman

Technical Director/Administrator
MediaMonks B.V. (www.mediamonks.nl)

Please quote all replies in correspondence. 

- -----Original Message-----
- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
- [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of 
- Terrence Koeman
- Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 17:56
- To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- Subject: RE: [Declude.JunkMail] Return-Path - proper use?
- 
- 
- And as a note, the preferred headers to set by servers with 
- the envelope to and from addresses are:
- 
- Apparently-To: & Apparently-From:
- 
- -- 
- Regards,
- 
- Terrence Koeman
- 
- Technical Director/Administrator
- MediaMonks B.V. (www.mediamonks.nl)
- 
- Please quote all replies in correspondence. 
- 
- - -----Original Message-----
- - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
- - [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of 
- - Terrence Koeman
- - Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 17:52
- - To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- - Subject: RE: [Declude.JunkMail] Return-Path - proper use?
- - 
- - 
- - Well, most servers do not handle Return-Path: correctly, but 
- - originally it was intended to let the client decide where to 
- - get messages about the mail they had sent. I don't think 
- - imail makes any use of the
- - Return-Path: header.
- - 
- - I think it'd be bad practice to set the Return-Path: header 
- - when received if not present. The from header would be used 
- - if there is no
- - Return-Path: header.
- - 
- - It should be the client who sets the Return-Path: header, 
- just as the
- - Reply-to: header. Servers shouldn't mess with it as it is 
- - also optional.
- - 
- - -- 
- - Regards,
- - 
- - Terrence Koeman
- - 
- - Technical Director/Administrator
- - MediaMonks B.V. (www.mediamonks.nl)
- - 
- - Please quote all replies in correspondence. 
- - 
- - - -----Original Message-----
- - - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
- - - [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of 
- - Andy Schmidt
- - - Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 17:44
- - - To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- - - Subject: RE: [Declude.JunkMail] Return-Path - proper use?
- - - 
- - - 
- - - >> afaik is the Return-Path: header used to determine where 
- - to return 
- - - >> the
- - - mail in case it bounces and other postmaster messages.  It 
- - - can very well be some other address than the address where it 
- - - was sent from. Like the reply-to: header. <<
- - - 
- - - Uhhh - so this header should (and possibly could) have been 
- - - set by the originating SMTP server?  In other words, that 
- - - header could/should already exists in the header and Imail 
- - - should NOT add it upon receipt of inbound mail.
- - - 
- - - If ANYTHING, Imail or Declude should add it to any OUTBOUND 
- - - mail?  Scott?
- - - 
- - - 
- - - Best Regards
- - - Andy Schmidt
- - - 
- - - Phone:  +1 201 934-3414 x20 (Business)
- - - Fax:    +1 201 934-9206
- - - 
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