--- a/mercurial/mail.py	Thu Dec 02 03:43:06 2010 +0100
+++ b/mercurial/mail.py	Mon Dec 20 16:56:54 2010 +0800
@@ -33,7 +33,17 @@
 def _smtp(ui):
     '''build an smtp connection and return a function to send mail'''
     local_hostname = ui.config('smtp', 'local_hostname')
-    s = smtplib.SMTP(local_hostname=local_hostname)
+    tls = ui.config('smtp', 'tls')
+    # backward compatible: when tls = true, we use starttls.
+    starttls = tls == 'starttls' or util.parsebool(tls)
+    smtps = tls == 'smtps'
+    if (starttls or smtps) and not hasattr(socket, 'ssl'):
+        raise util.Abort(_("can't use TLS: Python SSL support not installed"))
+    if smtps:
+        ui.note(_('(using smtps)\n'))
+        s = smtplib.SMTP_SSL(local_hostname=local_hostname)
+    else:
+        s = smtplib.SMTP(local_hostname=local_hostname)
     mailhost = ui.config('smtp', 'host')
     if not mailhost:
         raise util.Abort(_('smtp.host not configured - cannot send mail'))
@@ -41,11 +51,8 @@
     ui.note(_('sending mail: smtp host %s, port %s\n') %
             (mailhost, mailport))
     s.connect(host=mailhost, port=mailport)
-    if ui.configbool('smtp', 'tls'):
-        if not hasattr(socket, 'ssl'):
-            raise util.Abort(_("can't use TLS: Python SSL support "
-                               "not installed"))
-        ui.note(_('(using tls)\n'))
+    if starttls:
+        ui.note(_('(using starttls)\n'))
         s.ehlo()
         s.starttls()
         s.ehlo()