> Not having looked at the Exim source code recently, I can't be > authoritative. But I believe that Exim starts running as root, examines > its command options, and then changes its user-id. > > So, the Exim mail server daemon launches as root, binds to port 25, and > then becomes user exim. To deliver mail to a particular user (since > Exim has lost root), it starts running a *new* Exim.
Thanks Jonathan and also Philip for your helpful answers! I suspected that there are more than one Exim instances but ps didn't show them. My error was thinking they must be around all the time or spawn from the daemon. I missed that the listener daemon could just start the binary once again and this will be root thanks to suid. Thanks again, Jürgen -- ## List details at http://www.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/exim-users ## Exim details at http://www.exim.org/ ## Please use the Wiki with this list - http://www.exim.org/eximwiki/
