Re: [PATCH 2/2] Documentation: git-send-email: correct statement about standard ports

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jul 31, 2009, 16:04 UTC
Message-ID: <7vzlaku9d4.fsf@alter.siamese.dyndns.org>
In-Reply-To: <1248995334-28545-2-git-send-email-wjl@icecavern.net>

"Wesley J. Landaker" <wjl@icecavern.net> writes:

Show 15 quoted lines

> diff --git a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> index 1c94351..6415d94 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> +++ b/Documentation/git-send-email.txt
> @@ -142,8 +142,9 @@ user is prompted for a password while the input is masked for privacy.
>  
>  --smtp-server-port=<port>::
>  	Specifies a port different from the default port (SMTP
> -	servers typically listen to smtp port 25 and ssmtp port
> -	465); symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
> +	servers typically listen to smtp port 25, but may also listen to
> +	submission port 587, or a non-standard SSL smtp port like 465);
> +	symbolic port names (e.g. "submission" instead of 587)
>  	are also accepted. The port can also be set with the
>  	'sendemail.smtpserverport' configuration variable.

As you noted, port 465 has been used as a well-known de-facto port to run SMTP over SSL at many places. I do not think it would help anybody by clarifying that it is a "non-standard" port here. This is not a place to educate people on which port they should run their SMTP servers.

But I do not care deeply enough, and I can let it pass.

I have much more trouble with that "like 465" than I have with "non standard".

The purpose of listing the specific numbers in this sectiono is to give practical hints. We could just have said "we can take the port number your SMTP server listens to with this option, and it is up to you to figure out which port you want to talk to". We try to be helpful instead, so that the people can try to see if the suggested ports match their situation without having to consult outside references. That's the whole reason for having specific numbers in this section.

And in that context, 465 is much more special than any other "non standard port on which a random ISP may happen to run its SMTP over SSL service".

I think you would help people better to say:

	... submission port 587, or a widely used non-standard SMTP over
	SSL port 465.

if you want to really say non-standard, that is.