postfix won't start
 

i haven't changed anything int he file, as it is supposed to work 'right out of the box'.

when I try to start the postfix process I get:
"postfix: fatal: file /etc/postfix/main.cf: parameter mail_owner: unknown user name value: postfix
"
Ok, so I thought perhaps that was due to there not being a postfix user, so I added one, didn't create a new group, and added it to the already existing (due to installation) postfix group.

Then I start the process but get:
"postfix/postfix-script: fatal: the Postfix mail system is not running"

any help would be great...I'm sure this is common as I'm using out-of-the-box configuration!

Would this post I made recently help?

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...17#post1603117

Postfix can be started by root, though normally it just starts at boot-time and you don't have to think about it running. As I recall, this was accomplished automatically for me when I installed postfix. It's among the 30 or so services that start up at boot time.

Mail cannot be delivered unless there's a "human" recipient specified for the purpose, as the file referred to in the linked post explains.

(Edit:) Oh, and a frequent problem is that Postfix fails to deliver mail because it doesn't have permission to access the mailboxes. I had this problem and solved it by changing ownership of my mailbox (var/mail/jon) and root's (var/mail/root) to jon:jon and the permission to ug+rxw. I am the only user of my computer, and I receive root's mail as well as my own.

thanks,

but I don't think it's the same issue, plus the link is for sendmail not postfix.

i'm a bit weary to run a -R option ;-) but even so, there doesnt' appear to be anything in the temp folder that postfix needs.

also, on postfix you can change the user (mail_owner = postfix) to root, but still gives an error

ha, i think i got it!

before i was using cmd = postfix reload and it was giving the lame errors above, which led me to think that it was a folder security issue...i though root would have solved that.

no, i ran cmd = postfix start and get much more info:


""""""""""""
postfix start
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/active
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/bounce
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/corrupt
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/defer
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/deferred
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/flush
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/hold
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/incoming
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/private
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/public
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/trace
postfix/postfix-script: warning: not owned by postfix: /var/spool/postfix/maildrop
postsuper: fatal: scan_dir_push: open directory defer: Permission denied
postfix/postfix-script: fatal: Postfix integrity check failed!
"""""""""""""""'

it's obvious what is wrong and where to fix it!

thanks for your help though.

have to try this tomorrow and hopefully won't be back.
:D