[CLUE-Tech] bad trick

[Adam Bultman]

> I have a problem - I have an extensive "ban list" on my server to help 
> combat spam.  What I mean is, I religously update /etc/mail/access with 
> lines like this:
> 
> checkyourinbox.com REJECT

You should send them a message, too:

offers.bigfoot.com       550 You suck. 

Is how I reject spam.  My other, more annoying spam hosts (given, bigfoot 
isnt a 'spammer', they just 'sign me up for mailings') get stronger 
messages.

> 
> I after I edit that file, besides just running /etc/rc.d/init.d/sendmail 
> restart, I run through these steps in /etc/mail:
> 
> make clean
> make all
> newaliases
> /etc/rc.d/init.d/sendmail restart

Check the timestamp on access.db.  I typically have to manually recreate 
the db file in order to have them work:

makemap hash access < access

Then restart sendmail, and mine typically work. Oddly, since I started 
rejecting mail on about 10 domains, my spam increase has actually levelled 
off.

Anyway, do that, then  use telnet to send yourself mail from that domain 
and see if it gets rejected.