# HG changeset patch # User Simon Josefsson # Date 1157983108 0 # Node ID 155c267188602e84f3546f6b3cc19b4313354f35 # Parent d148ed3e5bb4ae4c65f108ff1234e1c0d6791a70 * smtpmail.texi (Authentication): Explain TLS and SSL better, based on suggested by Phillip Lord . diff -r d148ed3e5bb4 -r 155c26718860 man/smtpmail.texi --- a/man/smtpmail.texi Mon Sep 11 13:03:40 2006 +0000 +++ b/man/smtpmail.texi Mon Sep 11 13:58:28 2006 +0000 @@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ Many environments require SMTP clients to authenticate themselves before they are allowed to route mail via a server. The two following variables contains the authentication information needed for this. + The first variable, @code{smtpmail-auth-credentials}, instructs the SMTP library to use a SASL authentication step, currently only the CRAM-MD5 and LOGIN mechanisms are supported and will be selected in @@ -222,10 +223,17 @@ The second variable, @code{smtpmail-starttls-credentials}, instructs the SMTP library to connect to the server using STARTTLS. This means the protocol exchange may be integrity protected and confidential by -using TLS, also known as SSL, and optionally also authentication of -the client. This feature uses the elisp package @file{starttls.el} -(see it for more information on customization), which in turn require -that at least one of the following external tools are installed: +using the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, and optionally also +authentication of the client and server. + +TLS is a security protocol that is also known as SSL, although +strictly speaking, SSL is an older variant of TLS. TLS is backwards +compatible with SSL. In most mundane situations, the two terms are +equivalent. + +The TLS feature uses the elisp package @file{starttls.el} (see it for +more information on customization), which in turn require that at +least one of the following external tools are installed: @enumerate @item