[PATCH 1/2] Documentation: git-send-email: fix submission port number

[PATCH 1/2] Documentation: git-send-email: fix submission port number

[Wesley J. Landaker]

The current documentation confuses non-standard SSL smtp port 465 with
submission port 587 (RFC 4406). This patch just changes the referenced
number.

Signed-off-by: Wesley J. Landaker <wjl@icecavern.net>
---
 Documentation/git-send-email.txt |    2 +-
 1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
index d6b192b..1c94351 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 --smtp-server-port=<port>::
 	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
 	servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
-	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 465)
+	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
 	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 
-- 
1.6.3.1

[PATCH 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

[Wesley J. Landaker]

The current documentation states that servers typically listen on port
465 and calls this "ssmtp". While it's true that many mail servers use
port 465 for SSL smtp, this is non-standard, and hails from the days
before smtp and submission TLS support, that arrived in RFC2487 and
RFC3207. Port 465 is actually assigned by IANA for unrelated purposes,
and is mostly still used by mail servers today only to support Outlook
Express.

In any case, this patch helps the documentation better reflect both
standards and reality, while still helpfully mentioning ports numbers
that a user may wish to specify.

Signed-off-by: Wesley J. Landaker <wjl@icecavern.net>
---
 Documentation/git-send-email.txt |    5 +++--
 1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
index 1c94351..6415d94 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
@@ -142,8 +142,9 @@ user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 
 --smtp-server-port=<port>::
 	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
-	servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
-	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
+	servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
+	submission port 587, or a non-standard SSL smtp port like 465);
+	symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
 	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 
-- 
1.6.3.1

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

[Junio C Hamano]

"Wesley J. Landaker" <wjl@icecavern.net> writes:

> diff --git a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> index 1c94351..6415d94 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> @@ -142,8 +142,9 @@ user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
>  
>  --smtp-server-port=<port>::
>  	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
> -	servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
> -	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
> +	servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
> +	submission port 587, or a non-standard SSL smtp port like 465);
> +	symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
>  	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
>  	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.

As you noted, port 465 has been used as a well-known de-facto port to run
SMTP over SSL at many places.  I do not think it would help anybody by
clarifying that it is a "non-standard" port here.  This is not a place to
educate people on which port they should run their SMTP servers.

But I do not care deeply enough, and I can let it pass.

I have much more trouble with that "like 465" than I have with "non
standard".

The purpose of listing the specific numbers in this sectiono is to give
practical hints.  We could just have said "we can take the port number
your SMTP server listens to with this option, and it is up to you to
figure out which port you want to talk to".  We try to be helpful instead,
so that the people can try to see if the suggested ports match their
situation without having to consult outside references.  That's the whole
reason for having specific numbers in this section.

And in that context, 465 is much more special than any other "non standard
port on which a random ISP may happen to run its SMTP over SSL service".

I think you would help people better to say:

	... submission port 587, or a widely used non-standard SMTP over
	SSL port 465.

if you want to really say non-standard, that is.

[PATCHv2 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

[Wesley J. Landaker]

On Friday 31 July 2009 10:04:39 Junio C Hamano wrote:
> As you noted, port 465 has been used as a well-known de-facto port to run
> SMTP over SSL at many places.  I do not think it would help anybody by
> clarifying that it is a "non-standard" port here.  This is not a place to
> educate people on which port they should run their SMTP servers.
>
> But I do not care deeply enough, and I can let it pass.
>
> I have much more trouble with that "like 465" than I have with "non
> standard".

If you don't like the phrasing, how about this revised patch? I call it a
"common SSL smtp port", and refer directly to 465. I think should make everyone
happy:

---

>From f0f6d41705f51f198c7cd87cbbf4ffdbe3fdf84e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Wesley J. Landaker <wjl@icecavern.net>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:53:29 -0600
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

The current documentation states that servers typically listen on port
465 and calls this "ssmtp". While it's true that many mail servers use
port 465 for SSL smtp, this is non-standard, and hails from the days
before smtp and submission TLS support, that arrived in RFC2487 and
RFC3207. Port 465 is actually assigned by IANA for unrelated purposes,
and is mostly still used by mail servers today only to support Outlook
Express.

In any case, this patch helps the documentation better reflect both
standards and reality, while still helpfully mentioning ports numbers
that a user may wish to specify.

Signed-off-by: Wesley J. Landaker <wjl@icecavern.net>
---
 Documentation/git-send-email.txt |    5 +++--
 1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
index 1c94351..767cf4d 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
@@ -142,8 +142,9 @@ user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
 
 --smtp-server-port=<port>::
 	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
-	servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
-	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
+	servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
+	submission port 587, or the common SSL smtp port 465);
+	symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
 	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
 	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.
 
-- 
1.6.3.1

Re: [PATCHv2 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

[Junio C Hamano]

"Wesley J. Landaker" <wjl@icecavern.net> writes:

> On Friday 31 July 2009 10:04:39 Junio C Hamano wrote:
>> As you noted, port 465 has been used as a well-known de-facto port to run
>> SMTP over SSL at many places.  I do not think it would help anybody by
>> clarifying that it is a "non-standard" port here.  This is not a place to
>> educate people on which port they should run their SMTP servers.
>>
>> But I do not care deeply enough, and I can let it pass.
>>
>> I have much more trouble with that "like 465" than I have with "non
>> standard".
>
> If you don't like the phrasing, how about this revised patch? I call it a
> "common SSL smtp port", and refer directly to 465. I think should make everyone
> happy:

Looks really good.  Thanks.

Re: [PATCH 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

[Tony Finch]

On Fri, 31 Jul 2009, Junio C Hamano wrote:
>
> As you noted, port 465 has been used as a well-known de-facto port to run
> SMTP over SSL at many places.  I do not think it would help anybody by
> clarifying that it is a "non-standard" port here.

(off topic pedantry)

465 was at one time the de jure standard IANA registered port for smtps
(not "ssmtp") alongside the imaps and pop3s ports. The IETF foolishly
withdrew the registration for political reasons and it was subsequently
re-assigned to something else. Since the withdrawal there has been no
registered port for smtps, but smtps is required to support Outlook (not
just Outlook Express). Therefore operators have ignored the IETF's
mistake.

This is another example of IP "as she is spoke" being different from what
the standards say. Another good example is TCP congestion control which
wasn't described in an RFC until RFC 2001.

Also, MUAs typically use SSL to mean TLS-on-connect and TLS to mean
STARTTLS, and the setting has no bearing on whether it uses version
3.0 and earlier or 3.1 and later of the protocol.

Tony.
-- 
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