Drupal package lists exim instead of postfix as preferred MTA

The fix for this particular package is easy, changing 'exim4' to 'default-mta'.This raises the bigger question of whether we should apply such a change to all debian packages that depend on exim4 and aren't exim4 specific. There are quite a few listed in exim4's reverse depends:

Reverse Depends:
  logcheck,exim4
  trn4,exim4
  xdeview,exim4
  whatsnewfm,exim4
  wanna-build,exim4
  vzdump,exim4
  vm,exim4
  uudeview,exim4
  uucp,exim4
  usemod-wiki,exim4
  uqwk-spool,exim4
  typo3-src-4.3,exim4
  typo3-dummy,exim4
  tripwire,exim4
  tkrat,exim4
  tin,exim4
  systraq,exim4
  sxid,exim4
  solid-pop3d,exim4
  sn,exim4
  smokeping,exim4
  signing-party,exim4
  schleuder,exim4
  sauce,exim4
  rt3.8-clients,exim4
  rkhunter,exim4
  request-tracker3.8,exim4
  reportbug,exim4
  renattach,exim4
  qpopper-drac,exim4
  qpopper,exim4
  psad,exim4
  prayer-accountd,exim4
  prayer,exim4
  popa3d,exim4
  phpbb3,exim4
  mumble-server-web,exim4
  movabletype-opensource,exim4
  mlmmj,exim4
  mailutils,exim4
  mailto,exim4
  mailscanner,exim4
  maildrop,exim4
  mailagent,exim4
  log2mail,exim4
  lire,exim4
  libsbuild-perl,exim4
  libnews-article-perl,exim4
  killer,exim4
  ipband,exim4
  inn2,exim4
  ifgate,exim4
  heirloom-mailx,exim4
  gup,exim4
  greylistd,exim4
  gotmail,exim4
  gosa,exim4
  gnats-user,exim4
  gnats,exim4
  gforge-mta-exim4,exim4
  fwknop-server,exim4
  fcron,exim4
  email-reminder,exim4
  drupal6,exim4
  debsecan,exim4
  darcs-monitor,exim4
  citadel-server,exim4
  buildd,exim4
  bugzilla3,exim4
  biabam,exim4
  autolog,exim4
  altermime,exim4
  alpine,exim4
  subversion-tools,exim4
  mailman,exim4
  logcheck,exim4
  cron,exim4
  apt-listchanges,exim4

Attaching patch to change 'exim4' to 'default-mta'

I asked on #debian-ubuntu on OFTC and it seems like Debian doesn't allow a virtual package as the first in a list of alternative dependencies because their buildds don't support it. I hope the Ubuntu buildds don't have this issue?

This is somewhat unfortunate as otherwise we could have this fixed upstream in Debian and it would resolve all those issues once and for all... :-(

Okay, so it seems like 'default-mta' should actually work in Debian too now, and they are supposed to be working on fixing packages for this: http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=508644

So I guess this patch is okay. :-)

Hurray! Thanks for doing the research Jan.

I've uploaded a somewhat re-factored patch that corrects some issues the first one had.

Thanks for the research should also go to Rhonda, persia & Laney on #debian-ubuntu !

This bug was fixed in the package drupal6 - 6.16-1ubuntu1

---------------
drupal6 (6.16-1ubuntu1) maverick; urgency=low

  * Changing exim4 to default-mta (LP: #582255)
  * made postrm check for restart.sh in case dependencies
    were not properly installed. (LP: #583576)
 -- Clint Byrum <email address hidden> Tue, 18 May 2010 13:32:55 -0700