MTA

See also: MUA | E-mail | Spam

Acronym: Mail–Transfer Agent

Aka: SMTP-server.

An MTA in a program which runs on a server, waiting for TCP connections from other computers. It uses the SMTP protocol. The MTA waits till a client connects to it and asks it to send an e-mail to an e-mail addresss. The MTA, using DNS MX records, then figures out to which MTA it should send the e-mail to. When the MTA receives the mail it writes it into the users’ mailbox after which a MUA can pick it up using the POP3 protocol, the IMAP protocol or by direct access via a shell.

Software

• Sendmail – The first and still most popular MTA. Often also regarded as the most insecure.
• Postfix – Wietse Venema’s MTA.
• Qmail – DJB‘s MTA.

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