The Exim Configuration File

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# A.2. The Exim Configuration File

The Exim configuration file contains global definitions at the top (we will call this the main section), followed by several other sections[1]. Each of these other sections starts with:

    begin section

We will spend most of our time in the `acl` section (i.e. after `begin acl`); but we will also add and/or modify a few items in the `transports` and `routers` sections, as well as in the main section at the top of the file.

## A.2.1. Access Control Lists

As of version 4.xx, Exim incorporates perhaps the most sophisticated and flexible mechanism for SMTP-time filtering available anywhere, by way of so-called Access Control Lists (ACLs).

An ACL can be used to evaluate whether to accept or reject an aspect of an incoming message transaction, such as the initial connection from a remote host, or the HELO/EHLO, MAIL FROM:, or RCPT TO: SMTP commands. So, for instance, you may have an ACL named `acl_rcpt_to` to validate each RCPT TO: command received from the peer.

An ACL consists of a series of statements (or rules). Each statement starts with an action verb, such as `accept`, `warn`, `require`, `defer`, or `deny`, followed by a list of conditions, options, and other settings pertaining to that statement. Every statement is evaluated in order, until a definitive action (besides `warn`) is taken. There is an implicit `deny` at the end of the ACL.

A sample statement in the `acl_rcpt_to` ACL above may look like this:

      deny
        message  = relay not permitted
        !hosts   = +relay_from_hosts
        !domains = +local_domains : +relay_to_domains
        delay    = 1m

This statement will reject the RCPT TO: command if it was not delivered by a host in the "+relay_from_hosts" host list, and the recipient domain is not in the "+local_domains" or "+relay_to_domains" domain lists. However, before issuing the "550" SMTP response to this command, the server will wait for one minute.

To evaluate a particular ACL at a given stage of the message transaction, you need to point one of Exim's policy controls to that ACL. For instance, to use the `acl_rcpt_to` ACL mentioned above to evaluate the RCPT TO:, the main section of your Exim configuration file (before any `begin` keywords) should include:

    acl_smtp_rcpt = acl_rcpt_to

For a full list of such policy controls, refer to section 14.11 in the Exim specifications.

## A.2.2. Expansions

A large number of expansion items are available, including run-time variables, lookup functions, string/regex manipulations, host/domain lists, etc. etc. An exhaustive reference for the last x.x0 release (i.e. 4.20, 4.30..) can be found in the file "spec.txt"; ACLs are described in section 38.

In particular, Exim provides twenty general purpose expansion variables to which we can assign values in an ACL statement:

- `$acl_c0` - `$acl_c9` can hold values that will persist through the lifetime of an SMTP connection.

- `$acl_m0` - `$acl_m9` can hold values while a message is being received, but are then reset. They are also reset by the HELO, EHLO, MAIL, and RSET commands.

### Notes

[1] | Debian users: The `exim4-config` package gives you a choice between splitting the Exim configuration into several small chunks distributed within subdirectories below `/etc/exim4/conf.d`, or to keep the entire configuration in a single file. If you chose the former option (I recommend this!), you can keep your customization well separated from the stock configuration provided with the `exim4-config` package by creating new files within these subdirectories, rather than modifying the existing ones. For instance, you may create a file named `/etc/exim4/conf.d/acl/80_local-config_rcpt_to` to declare your own ACL for the RCPT TO: command (see below). The Exim "init" script (`/etc/init.d/exim4`) will automatically consolidate all these files into a single large run-time configuration file next time you (re)start.

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