var-qmail packages and qmail-run packages

[D. J. Bernstein]

Vern Hart writes:
> If I understand it correctly, a var-qmail package is not allowed to
> enable qmail to send and receive messages.

Right. Those features are handled by a qmail-run package. Different
qmail-run packages can offer different features: running qmail under
supervise, for example, or using tcpserver instead of inetd.

You can freely install a var-qmail package without affecting other MTAs.
qmail-run is different: it promotes qmail into the special position of
receiving messages on port 25.

> If not, how is a user supposed to know what file(s) to read
> to know what to do next?

See qmail-1.03/BIN.README. This would be README in a typical var-qmail
tarball. Other package systems might display a message on the screen.

---Dan