How to lunch webpage without using SMTP server?

[David Bolen]

Grant Edwards <grante at visi.com> writes:

> On 2004-07-21, Byron <DesertLinux at netscape.net> wrote:
(...)
> > I would HIGHLY recommend that you use an SMTP server.
> 
> I simply don't see how you can send mail without using an SMTP
> server.

If that includes the final delivery agent that is listening on an SMTP
port to provide delivery to a mailbox on the remote end, I agree.  But
to the extent that such a server is being run by a separate
administrative entity, you might not include it in discussions talking
about the client machine.  That SMTP server is handling the delivery
end of the mail, not the transmitting.

Typically, when I see discussions of running your own SMTP server,
it's to get the benefits that most servers implement of queueing,
handling DNS information, error bounce messages, and in general robust
management of delivery to the target.  But that refers to a local SMTP
server providing such functionality and not the delivery SMTP
agent/server at the destination address.  I'm guessing that's what
Bryan may have been referring to.  (Run a server locally, and just
hand it messages to deliver).

But you can certainly write SMTP client code that can deliver a
message properly to anyone on the net without needing a local SMTP
server.  Heck, you can do it interactively with dig/nslookup and
telnet.  Just ask DNS for the MX information properly, resolve the
host(s) down to their IP addresses, and then connect to the delivery
agent there, and transmit the message.  It's much easier to have a
smart local SMTP server to take care of the grunge work for you, but
it's certainly doable if you don't have one.

-- David