Apache News Online : Apache SpamAssassin

11 March 2006 - Apache SpamAssassin 3.1.1 released

Apache SpamAssassin 3.1.1 released

18 September 2005 - Apache Spamassassin 3.1.0 Released

Apache SpamAssassin 3.1.0 has been released! SpamAssassin 3.1.0 is a major update. SpamAssassin is a mail filter which uses advanced statistical and heuristic tests to identify spam (also known as unsolicited bulk email).

Highlights of the release
-------------------------

• Apache preforking algorithm adopted; number of spamd child processes is now scaled, according to demand. This provides better VM behaviour when not under peak load.
• added PostgreSQL, MySQL 4.1+, and local SDBM file Bayes storage modules. SQL storage is now recommended for Bayes, instead of DB_File. NDBM_File support has been dropped due to a major bug in that module.
• detect legitimate SMTP AUTH submission, to avoid false positives on Dynablock-style rules.
• new plugins: DomainKeys (off by default), MIMEHeader: a new plugin to perform tests against header in internal MIME structure, ReplaceTags: plugin by Felix Bauer to support fuzzy text matching, WhiteListSubject: plugin added to support user whitelists by Subject header.
• Razor: disable Razor2 support by default per our policy, since the service is not free for non-personal use.It's trivial to reenable (by editing '/etc/mail/spamassassin/v310.pre').
• DCC: disable DCC for similar reasons, due to new license terms.
• Net::DNS bug: high load caused answer packets to be mixed up and delivered as answers to the wrong request, causing false positives.worked around.
• DNSBL lookups and other DNS operations are now more efficient, by using a custom single-socket event-based model instead of Net::DNS.

Downloading
-----------

Pick it up from:

http://SpamAssassin.apache.org/

Note, it may take up to two hours from now for that mirror to update.

md5sum:

d28bd7e83d01b234144e336bbfde0caa Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.tar.bz2
f70c1fcab3d9563731bbc307eda7d69e Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.tar.gz
65e9629ce255244fe3cb3d9772cdf239 Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.zip

sha1sum:

0185f076f619dd9e64e94b453017f9b08d4b0f04 Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.tar.bz2
d887cbae5962cb03e45aaf71cd93881a27cccc99 Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.tar.gz
8b9494448782f910e573377bf226a8072f24bb3f Mail-SpamAssassin-3.1.0.zip

The release files also have a .asc accompanying them.The file serves as an external GPG signature for the given release file.The signing key is available via the wwwkeys.pgp.net key server, as well as http://spamassassin.apache.org/released/GPG-SIGNING-KEY

The key information is:

pub 1024D/265FA05B 2003-06-09 SpamAssassin Signing Key - release@spamassassin.org
Key fingerprint =3D 26C9 00A4 6DD4 0CD5 AD24 F6D7 DEE0 1987 265F A05B

Important installation notes
----------------------------

• see the INSTALL and UPGRADE files in the distribution.

Summary of major changes since 3.0.x
------------------------------------

• Apache preforking algorithm adopted; number of spamd child processes is now scaled, according to demand.This provides better VM behaviour when not under peak load.
• Inclusion of sa-update script which will allow for updates of rules and scores in between code releases.
• added PostgreSQL, MySQL 4.1+, and local SDBM file Bayes storage modules. SQL storage is now recommended for Bayes, instead of DB_File. NDBM_File support has been dropped due to a major bug in that module.
• detect legitimate SMTP AUTH submission, to avoid false positives on Dynablock-style rules.
• new Advance Fee Fraud (419 scam) rules.
• removed use of the Storable module, due to several reported hangs on SMP Linux machines.
• Converted several rule/engine components into Plugins such as: AccessDB, AWL, Pyzor, Razor2, DCC, Bayes AutoLearn Determination, etc.
• new plugins: DomainKeys (off by default), MIMEHeader: a new plugin to perform tests against header in internal MIME structure, ReplaceTags: plugin by Felix Bauer to support fuzzy text matching, WhiteListSubject: plugin added to support user whitelists by Subject header.
• TextCat language guesser moved to a plugin.(This means "ok_languages" is no longer part of the core engine by default.)
• Razor: disable Razor2 support by default per our policy, since the service is not free for non-personal use.It's trivial to reenable.
• DCC: disable DCC for similar reasons, due to new license terms.
• Net::DNS bug: high load caused answer packets to be mixed up and delivered as answers to the wrong request, causing false positives.worked around.
• DNSBL lookups and other DNS operations are now more efficient, by using a custom single-socket event-based model instead of Net::DNS.
• add support for accreditation services, including Habeas v2.
• better URI parsing -- many evasion tricks now caught.
• URIBL lookups are prioritized based on the location in the message the URI was found.
• mass-check now supports reusing realtime DNSBL hit results, and sample-based Bayes autolearning emulation, to reduce complexity.
• sa-learn, spamassassin and mass-check now have optional progress bars.
• modify header ordering for DomainKeys compatibility, by placing markup headers at the top of the message instead at the bottom of the list.
• spamd/spamc now support remote Bayes training, and reporting spam.
• spamc now supports reading its flags from a configuration file using the -F switch, contributed by John Madden.
• added SPF-based whitelisting.
• Polish rules contributed by Radoslaw Stachowiak.
• many rule changes and additions.

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-- The Apache Spamassassin Project

06 June 2005 - Apache SpamAssassin 3.0.4 Released

Apache SpamAssassin 3.0.4 released! Please visit the downloads page to get the latest version.

16 December 2004 - Apache SpamAssassin 3.0.2 Released

Apache SpamAssassin 3.0.2 released! Please visit the downloads page to get the latest version.

22 September 2004 - Apache SpamAssassin 3.0.0 is released

Forest Hill, MD - September 22, 2004 -- The Apache Software Foundation is pleased to announce the release of SpamAssassin 3.0. SpamAssassin 3.0 contains a number of new technologies designed to protect against the changing techniques used by spammers. This is the first SpamAssassin release as an Apache Software Foundation project and under the Apache License. The release is available from the Apache SpamAssassin web site (http://spamassassin.apache.org/) via the Apache mirror network.

SpamAssassin 3.0 delivers many new features including support for sender authentication using the Sender Policy Framework (SPF), checking for web links of known spam advertisers, a modular plugin architecture, improved SQL database support for storing user data in server installations, and improved email classification.

SpamAssassin's practical multi-technique approach, modularity, and extensibility continue to give it an advantage over other anti-spamsystems. Due to these advantages, SpamAssassin is widely used in all aspects of email management. You can readily find SpamAssassin in use in both email clients and servers, on many different operating systems, filtering incoming as well as outgoing email, and implementing a very broad range of policy actions. These installations include service providers, businesses, not-for-profit and educational organizations, and end-user systems. SpamAssassin also forms the basis for numerous commercial anti-spam products available on the market today.

About SpamAssassin

SpamAssassin is an intelligent email filter which uses a diverse range of tests to identify unsolicited bulk email, more commonly known as "spam". These tests are applied to email headers and content to classify email using advanced statistical methods. In addition, SpamAssassin has a modular architecture that allows other technologies to be quickly wielded against spam and is designed for easy integration into virtually any email system.

About the Apache Software Foundation

The Apache Software Foundation provides organizational, legal, and financial support for a broad range of open source software projects. As a US 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation provides an established framework for contributions of both intellectual property and funding for the support of open source software development. Through a collaborative and meritocratic development process, Apache projects deliver enterprise-grade, freely available software products for the public benefit, attracting large communities of users and enabling future innovation, both commercial and individual, through its pragmatic Apache License.

Press Contact:

press@apache.org

16 July 2004 - Spamassassin Project Website Now In Apache.Org

http://spamassassin.apache.org/ -- Please take a look at the "News and Announcements" section if possible.

24 June 2004 - Full-fledged Apache SpamAssassin moves up to Top Level

The resolution below was brought before the Board of the Apache Software Foundation, and has passed. SpamAssassin has graduated from the Apache Incubator Project to become a full-fledged top level project in the Apache Software Foundation. Daniel Quinlan will be the PMC Chair of the Apache SpamAssassin.

This was finally made possible now that Network Associates officially transferred ownership of the SpamAssassin trademarks to the Apache Software Foundation. The Apache Software Foundation is now the proud owner of the fantastic SpamAssassin brand and the codebase. The SpamAssassin team is on the verge of releasing a long overdue 3.0 release.

(For Reference)
VOTE Result == "Graduate SpamAssassin from Incubator, recommend TLP"
http://nagoya.apache.org/eyebrowse/BrowseList?listName=general@incubator.apache.org&by=thread&from=806972

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Establish SpamAssassin PMC

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors deems it to be in the best
interests of the Foundation and consistent with the
Foundation's purpose to establish a Project Management
Committee charged with the creation and maintenance of
open-source software related to identifying unsolicited email,
for distribution at no charge to the public.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that a Project Management
Committee (PMC), to be known as the "Apache SpamAssassin PMC",
be and hereby is established pursuant to Bylaws of the
Foundation; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Apache SpamAssassin PMC be and hereby is
responsible for the creation and maintenance of software
related to identifying unsolicited email; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the office of "Vice President, Apache
SpamAssassin" be and hereby is created, the person holding such
office to serve at the direction of the Board of Directors as
the chair of the Apache SpamAssassin PMC, and to have primary
responsibility for management of the projects within the scope
of responsibility of the Apache SpamAssassin PMC; and be it
further

RESOLVED, that the persons listed immediately below be and
hereby are appointed to serve as the initial members of the
Apache SpamAssassin PMC:

Theo van Dinter
Duncan Findlay
Justin Mason
Daniel Quinlan
Malte S. Stretz

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Daniel Quinlan be
and hereby is appointed to the office of Vice President, Apache
SpamAssassin, to serve in accordance with and subject to the
direction of the Board of Directors and the Bylaws of the
Foundation until death, resignation, retirement, removal or
disqualification, or until a successor is appointed; and be it
further

RESOLVED, that the initial Apache SpamAssassin PMC be and
hereby is tasked with the creation of a set of bylaws intended
to encourage open development and increased participation in
the Apache SpamAssassin Project.