Re: STARTTLS & EHLO: Errata text?

[John C Klensin <[e-mail]>]

--On Friday, January 30, 2009 9:39 +0000 Paul Smith
<[e-mail]> wrote:

> John C Klensin wrote:
>>> Old text:
>>>    The client SHOULD send an EHLO command as the
>>>    first command after a successful TLS negotiation.
>>> 
>>> New text:
>>>    The client MUST send either an EHLO command or a HELO
>>> command as the    first command after a successful TLS
>>> negotiation.
>>>     
>> 
>> s/HELO command as/HELO command, or a command that does not
>> require that a mail transaction be open, as/
>> 
>> That can be done in several other ways, but I don't think you
>> can or should prohibit VRFY, EXPN, HELP, etc., there.
>>   
> Just going back a step, shouldn't it be worded something like
> 
> "The client MUST send a EHLO command after a successful TLS
> negotiation if it wishes to start a mail transaction or use
> any SMTP extensions."
> 
> Because that's actually what we mean.
> 
> Also, saying 'or a command that does not require that a mail
> transaction be open' means that you could use an SMTP
> extension which was advertised before the STARTTLS, as long as
> it doesn't involve a mail transaction, without resending EHLO.

That would be a better fix, as would something along the lines
of the "must not trust" suggestion, as long as it was absolutely
clear whether or not EHLO needed to be resent (I think is does
because the client can't know whether or not the server intends
to make use of the argument).

    john