[msmtp-users] connection test(s) for msmtpq

[cg <namtok@...135...>]

Greetings list,

I maintain msmtpq and would like, if possible, to get the list's input
on an issue.

Currently, msmtpq, on sending a mail or flushing the queue, tests
first for an existing net connection. This seems preferable to me to
waiting for msmtp to return with an 'ok' or 'not ok' code as sometimes
it can take quite some time to return. Thus far I have been using a
simple-minded ping test to sense a connection but I recently ran into
difficulty with that. Doing a session in a Parisian library, msmtpq
refused to send out any mail and, on investigation, the library had
blocked the ICMP port but not the SMTP ports. So sending failed
until I removed the test. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or
later...

So, please, list, what would you advise ? Is it best, then, to
eliminate the test and rely on the return code of msmtp ? Is there a
better (quick) test for an existing connection ? (I have searched
extensively and it seems that it is far from a clear issue to
definitively test for an existing connection). If you have such a test
can you also refer me to its documentation ?

If nothing conclusive appears I suppose that I could include a switch
to, optionally, suppress the connection test but as it involves
changing the mail client's configuration it would be an ugly,
inelegant hack.

Thanks in advance for any information, opinion, wisdom, feedback,
critique, etc.

Best,

Chris