--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The challenge with Postfix, or with any…" description: "\"The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.\" — Wietse Venema" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg" --- # The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software… ![“The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.” quote by Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg) > “The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.” [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Updating software must avoid new bugs and regressions. **In simple terms:** Update carefully to prevent new issues. Key Takeaway Prioritize safe, incremental updates. Themes software maintenance risk management quality assurance Mood cautious analytical Type practical technical When to use this quote - deployment pipelines - release management - bug tracking Key Concepts regression testing continuous integration change control Questions to Reflect On - How can you detect hidden side effects? - What safeguards help ensure stability? A Different Perspective Even careful updates can miss hidden dependencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Software](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/software/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I want to avoid locking people into solutions that work only with Postfix. People should have a choice in what software they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/i-want-to-avoid-locking-people-into-solutions-that-work-only-with/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [As of today, the Postfix mail transport agent has almost 50,000 lines of code, comments not included.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/as-of-today-the-postfix-mail-transport-agent-has-almost-50-000-lines/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Postfix keeps running even if one Postfix process dies; Windows requires that someone restarts the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/postfix-keeps-running-even-if-one-postfix-process-dies-windows/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Besides hot pockets keeps introducing new products every 10 minutes so I always have new stuff on the topic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/besides-hot-pockets-keeps-introducing-new-products-every-10-minutes/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [A two-hour movie tends to be a plot-delivery device; you tend to have to introduce all the characters, say what the goal is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/a-two-hour-movie-tends-to-be-a-plot-delivery-device-you-tend-to-have/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Books are never out of humour; never envious or jealous, they answer all questions with readiness; ... they teach us how to live and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holbrook-jackson/books-are-never-out-of-humour-never-envious-or-jealous-they-answer/) [Holbrook Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holbrook-jackson/) > [Russia tried to introduce beer as kind of the new vodka - and it's working with younger people in major cities - but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/russia-tried-to-introduce-beer-as-kind-of-the-new-vodka-and-it-s/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [White lies always introduce others of a darker complexion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-paley/white-lies-always-introduce-others-of-a-darker-complexion/) [William S. Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-paley/) > [Cat cleared her throat in the tense silence that followed. “Uh, before this goes any further, let’s at least introduce ourselves to your friend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/cat-cleared-her-throat-in-the-tense-silence-that-followed-uh-before/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Spirituality does not have to be serious. You are spirituality. Fun laughter heal you faster than anything. Introduce fun back into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/spirituality-does-not-have-to-be-serious-you-are-spirituality-fun/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [Schools must inquire deeper into their own practices, explore new ways to motivate their learners, make use of learning styles, introduce multiple intelligences, integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fullan/schools-must-inquire-deeper-into-their-own-practices-explore-new-ways/) [Michael Fullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fullan/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [You can't have a movie with a group of people that are significant players in the story, that push forward the plot, without introducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/you-can-t-have-a-movie-with-a-group-of-people-that-are-significant/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) ## More by Wietse Venema > [I was going to visit IBM for six months as a visiting scientist. Now, six months is a lot of time, so I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/i-was-going-to-visit-ibm-for-six-months-as-a-visiting-scientist-now/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Qmail out of the box works fine, so people will want to use it regardless of licensing restrictions, even when the software does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/qmail-out-of-the-box-works-fine-so-people-will-want-to-use-it/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Like all software, Qmail can survive only when it keeps up with changing requirements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/like-all-software-qmail-can-survive-only-when-it-keeps-up-with/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [The Postfix security model is based on keeping software simple and stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/the-postfix-security-model-is-based-on-keeping-software-simple-and/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Writing software that's safe even in the presence of bugs makes the challenge even more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/writing-software-that-s-safe-even-in-the-presence-of-bugs-makes-the/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [One bug in an SMTP server can open up the whole machine for intrusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/one-bug-in-an-smtp-server-can-open-up-the-whole-machine-for-intrusion/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [However, writing software without defects is not sufficient. In my experience, it is at least as difficult to write software that is safe -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/however-writing-software-without-defects-is-not-sufficient-in-my/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Most of the effort in the software business goes into the maintenance of code that already exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/most-of-the-effort-in-the-software-business-goes-into-the-maintenance/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [At the time the Sendmail program had a very poor reputation with respect to security, with four root vulnerabilities per year for two successive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/at-the-time-the-sendmail-program-had-a-very-poor-reputation-with/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Lack of documentation is becoming a problem for acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/lack-of-documentation-is-becoming-a-problem-for-acceptance/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [When I write software, I know that it will fail, either due to my own mistake, or due to some other cause.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/when-i-write-software-i-know-that-it-will-fail-either-due-to-my-own/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Postfix keeps running even if one Postfix process dies; Windows requires that someone restarts the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/postfix-keeps-running-even-if-one-postfix-process-dies-windows/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [This will surprise some of your readers, but my primary interest is not with computer security. I am primarily interested in writing software that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/this-will-surprise-some-of-your-readers-but-my-primary-interest-is/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [Windows favors multi-threading, which means that a service is implemented by one single process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/windows-favors-multi-threading-which-means-that-a-service-is/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) > [I don't expect an overnight change of all desktops to what the US Military used to call B3 level security. And even that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/i-don-t-expect-an-overnight-change-of-all-desktops-to-what-the-us/) [Wietse Venema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) [Explore all 25 Wietse Venema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/) ## More Introducing quotes > [You can't have a movie with a group of people that are significant players in the story, that push forward the plot, without introducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/you-can-t-have-a-movie-with-a-group-of-people-that-are-significant/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [You cannot ... transmute some incoherent mixture of words into sense merely by introducing the three-letter word "God" to be its grammatical subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-flew/you-cannot-transmute-some-incoherent-mixture-of-words-into-sense/) [Antony Flew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-flew/) > [Schools must inquire deeper into their own practices, explore new ways to motivate their learners, make use of learning styles, introduce multiple intelligences, integrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fullan/schools-must-inquire-deeper-into-their-own-practices-explore-new-ways/) [Michael Fullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fullan/) > [Spirituality does not have to be serious. You are spirituality. Fun laughter heal you faster than anything. Introduce fun back into your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-moorjani/spirituality-does-not-have-to-be-serious-you-are-spirituality-fun/) [Anita Moorjani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-moorjani/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Cat cleared her throat in the tense silence that followed. “Uh, before this goes any further, let’s at least introduce ourselves to your friend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/cat-cleared-her-throat-in-the-tense-silence-that-followed-uh-before/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [White lies always introduce others of a darker complexion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-paley/white-lies-always-introduce-others-of-a-darker-complexion/) [William S. Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-paley/) > [Russia tried to introduce beer as kind of the new vodka - and it's working with younger people in major cities - but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/russia-tried-to-introduce-beer-as-kind-of-the-new-vodka-and-it-s/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [Books are never out of humour; never envious or jealous, they answer all questions with readiness; ... they teach us how to live and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holbrook-jackson/books-are-never-out-of-humour-never-envious-or-jealous-they-answer/) [Holbrook Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holbrook-jackson/) > [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [A two-hour movie tends to be a plot-delivery device; you tend to have to introduce all the characters, say what the goal is, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/a-two-hour-movie-tends-to-be-a-plot-delivery-device-you-tend-to-have/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [Besides hot pockets keeps introducing new products every 10 minutes so I always have new stuff on the topic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/besides-hot-pockets-keeps-introducing-new-products-every-10-minutes/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/we-could-encourage-the-best-qualities-of-youthfulness-curiosity/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [We could not, for example, arrive at a principle like that of entropy without introducing some additional principle, such as randomness, to this topography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-polanyi/we-could-not-for-example-arrive-at-a-principle-like-that-of-entropy/) [Michael Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-polanyi/) > [To prove that tuberculosis is caused by the invasion of bacilli, and that it is a parasitic disease primarily caused by the growth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-koch/to-prove-that-tuberculosis-is-caused-by-the-invasion-of-bacilli-and/) [Robert Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-koch/) Browse all 732 Introducing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wietse Venema" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-piece-of-software-is-to-update/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Introducing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-piece-of-software-is-to-update/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/wietse-venema-23563_introducing_the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-p_911457.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The challenge with Postfix, or with any piece of software, is to update software without introducing problems.” — Wietse Venema", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Wietse Venema", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wietse-venema/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The challenge with Postfix, or with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-piece-of-software-is-to-update/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wietse-venema/the-challenge-with-postfix-or-with-any-piece-of-software-is-to-update/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```