I've really been cranking away for the past few days, trying to put the finishing touches on a state-of-the-art Postfix+Courier-IMAP+SASL2+PAM+MySQL+Amavisd-new mail server. If you remember my article from 10 days ago, First Run of the Season in the Heat is Always Depressing, I feel the same way I did then, but this time I'm beaten down technically. I wish it would work, but it won't.

When I solve the problem (can't get SASL to authenticate a crypted password stored in MySQL), I'm sure it will turn out that I overlooked the obvious or omitted one step of a 37-step process. It's a relief when I put a problem like this behind me. But it takes a long time to regain that feeling that I really know what I'm doing when it comes to Linux.

It's important to have exercise habits at times like these because sometimes I think of other approaches to solving difficult technical problems when I'm running, riding my bike, or even mowing the lawn. I thought maybe I'd have an epiphany when I went to Newark Liberty Airport to pick up a friend this afternoon. I didn't.

I'll do the workout early in the day tomorrow.