# HG changeset patch
# User meillo@marmaro.de
# Date 1223234677 -7200
# Node ID 01f154f8f477cf35735dabcd3536be6f5b14b22e
# Parent  433df94d5476890f710a9d4a06f67be5c43d924e
added text about the candidates

diff -r 433df94d5476 -r 01f154f8f477 thesis/tex/1-Candidates.tex
--- a/thesis/tex/1-Candidates.tex	Sat Oct 04 20:14:00 2008 +0200
+++ b/thesis/tex/1-Candidates.tex	Sun Oct 05 21:24:37 2008 +0200
@@ -1,24 +1,44 @@
 \chapter{Candidates}
 
+This chapter introduces a group of \mta{}s. These will be presented to the reader in some kind of \emph{Curriculum Vitae}. %FIXME: check spelling
+The next chapter will show a comparision of the candidates in several disciplines.
 
-\section{Types of MTAs}
 
+\section{Types of \MTA{}s}
+``Mail transfer agent'' is a term covering a variety of programs. One thing is common to them: they transport email from one \emph{thing} to another. These \emph{things} can be hosts, meaning independent machines, or protocols like \NAME{SMTP} and \NAME{UUCP}, between which mail is transfered.\footnote{\sendmail{}'s initial purpose was moving mail between \NAME{UUCP}, \name{Berknet} and \NAME{SMTP}.}
 
-\section{Not regarded here}
+Beside this common property, \MTA{}s can be very different. Some of them have \NAME{POP3} and/or \NAME{IMAP} servers included. Some can fetch mails through these protocols. Others have have every feature you can think of. And maybe there are some that do nothing else, but transporting email.
+
+\section{The ones not regarded here}
+The candidates for the competition in the next chapter are a subset of the \MTA{}s available. Comparision between totally different programs (apart of one function) makes not much sense. One would not use a program for a job it is not suited for. Therefor \mta{}s that are rarely similar to \masqmail\ are not regarded.
+
+The first group of programs to sort out are the so called \name{groupware} programs. These provide a whole lot of functions, including mail transfer, file storage, calendars, resource management, instant messaging and more. %FIXME: check
+Examples for this kind of programs are: \name{Microsoft Exchange}, %FIXME: add more
+
+The second group are the \name{relay-only} \MTA{}s. %FIXME: ``dumb'' ?
+They transfer mail only to a defined ``smart'' mail server, which handles all further processing. Most \MTA{}s can be configured to act as such a forwarder, but as additional functionality.
+Examples for that group are: \name{nullmailer}, \name{ssmtp} and \name{esmtp}.
+
+Third, only \emph{sendmail-compatible} \MTA{}s will be regarded in the competition. The ones not \emph{sendmail-compatible} are not from big interest on \unix\ systems. %FIXME: write it the other way round: the group sorted out.
 
 
 \section{The competitors}
+The programs remaining are \emph{sendmail-compatible} ``smart'' \MTA{}s that do not offer masses of features unrelated to mail transport.
 
+For the comparision, five programs of this group are taken. These are: \sendmail, \name{qmail}, \name{postfix}, \name{exim} and \masqmail. The four alternatives to \masqmail\ are the most important representatives of the regarded group.
 
-\subsection{sendmail}
+Here follows a small introduction to each of the five.
 
-\subsection{qmail}
+\subsection{\sendmail}
+% author, date of first release, basic intention of program, ...
 
-\subsection{postfix}
+\subsection{\name{qmail}}
 
-\subsection{exim}
+\subsection{\name{postfix}}
 
-\subsection{masqmail}
+\subsection{\name{exim}}
+
+\subsection{\masqmail}
 The \masqmail\ program was written by Oliver Kurth, starting in 1999. His aim was to create a \mta\ which is especially focused on computers with dial-up connections to the internet. \masqmail\ handles situations which are rarely solveable with the common \MTA{}s.
 
 
diff -r 433df94d5476 -r 01f154f8f477 thesis/thesis.sty
--- a/thesis/thesis.sty	Sat Oct 04 20:14:00 2008 +0200
+++ b/thesis/thesis.sty	Sun Oct 05 21:24:37 2008 +0200
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 	\newcommand{\MTA}{\NAME{MTA}}
 	\newcommand{\RFC}{\NAME{RFC}}
 	\newcommand{\GNU}{\NAME{GNU}}
+	\newcommand{\unix}{\name{Unix}}
 
 	\newcommand{\nth}{\textsuperscript{th}}
 	\newcommand{\st}{\textsuperscript{st}}