[TriLUG] sendmail restarting after being stopped

[Jon Carnes]

> Even when the sendmail service is stopped, local programs can still call
> /usr/sbin/sendmail and start sending mail.  Is this what you mean?  The
> sendmail "service" is primarily the SMTP listener part of the
> application; other parts are run directly, depending on the situation.
> 
> If you really don't want any mail to be sent, you'll have to stop the
> other programs/users that are sending mail.  Or do as you've done and
> rename (or chmod) the binary, but that could cause lots of nasty errors
> to be reported back to the client.
> 
> --Jeremy

I think he is actually editing/pruning mail that is in the queue.  That
won't be affected by local services dropping new mail into the queue
(which is what happens when they reference sendmail).  He is just trying
to stop anything from grabbing the files and shoving them out to the
internet.

I've had to do this on many occasions.  Sometimes when folks fubar who
they are sending a message to... sometimes to stop a new virus from
being distributed to customers... other times when an app goes wild and
starts hammering the mail servers (a lot of my apps send out automated
reports via email).

Take care - Jon Carnes