Which file, when using Sendmail or a similar MTA system, will allow a user to redirect all their mail to another address and is configurable by the user themselves?

Question

Options

• A/etc/alias
• B~/.alias
• C/etc/mail/forwarders
• D~/.forward
• E~/.vacation

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  10% (5)
• C
  4% (2)
• D
  82% (42)
• E
  2% (1)

Explanation

~/.forward is a per-user file that Sendmail (and compatible MTAs like Postfix) checks automatically when delivering mail to a local account. If the file exists and contains an email address, the MTA redirects all incoming mail there - no root access or system-level configuration required, since it lives in the user's home directory.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A. /etc/alias - close but wrong path; the system-wide aliases file is /etc/aliases (plural), and it requires root to modify - users can't configure it themselves.
• B. ~/.alias - this doesn't exist as a mail-forwarding mechanism; aliases in a user's shell config (.bash_aliases, etc.) have nothing to do with mail delivery.
• C. /etc/mail/forwarders - not a real standard file in Sendmail or common MTA configurations.
• E. ~/.vacation - related but different: this is used with the vacation program to send automatic out-of-office replies, not to forward mail elsewhere.

Memory tip: Think of the dot-forward file as literally "forwarding your mail forward" - the . means it's in your home directory (user-controlled), and "forward" is exactly what it does.

No community discussion yet for this question.