qconfirm - request delivery confirmation for mail

How to install qconfirm
Upgrading from previous versions of qconfirm

How it works
Frequently asked questions
Benefits
Configuration

Handling bounce messages
Control qconfirm through email
How to use cdb for known sender mail adresses

The qconfirm-conf program
The qconfirm-check program
The qconfirm-accept program
The qconfirm program

The qconfirm-return program
The qconfirm-control program
The qconfirm-cdb-check program
The qconfirm-cdb-update program

qconfirm is an implementation of a delivery confirmation process for a mail address or mailing list. It is invoked by qmail-local through a dot-qmail file, and can reduce the amount of junk mail hitting a mailbox or the mailboxes of mailing list subscribers.

qconfirm performs this delivery confirmation process either sender based or message based.

qconfirm is discussed on the <misc@list.smarden.org> mailing list. To subscribe send an empty email to <misc-subscribe@list.smarden.org>. Send an empty email to <misc-help@list.smarden.org> for more information about this list.

Sender-based delivery confirmation

If qconfirm-check runs in sender mode, messages from known envelope senders are accepted without a confirmation, and immediately allowed to be processed further in the .qmail file.

qconfirm-check defers messages from unknown envelope senders temporarily, and sends a confirmation request message to the sender. The original message and all newer messages from the same sender will be deferred temporarily until a reply to the confirmation request is received. The messages bounce if queuelifetime has expired. New messages from the same sender do not result in new confirmation requests.

Once an envelope sender has confirmed a delivery, qconfirm-check permanently treats this envelope sender as known.

Message-based delivery confirmation

If qconfirm-check runs in message mode (option -m is set), each single message needs to be confirmed to be allowed to be processed further in the .qmail file.

The messages bounce if queuelifetime has expired.

qconfirm is available as Debian GNU/Linux package, just add

  deb http://smarden.org/pape/Debian sarge unofficial
  deb-src http://smarden.org/pape/Debian sarge unofficial

to /etc/apt/sources.list on Debian GNU/Linux sarge, or

  deb http://smarden.org/pape/Debian woody unofficial
  deb-src http://smarden.org/pape/Debian woody unofficial

to /etc/apt/sources.list on Debian GNU/Linux woody and run

  # apt-get update

Then install the package qconfirm as usual with apt-get, dpkg or dselect, e.g.:

  # apt-get install qconfirm

See INSTALL on how to install qconfirm and Configuration for setting up qconfirm in a .qmail file.

See http://smarden.org/qconfirm/ for recent informations.