ubuntu server - how to diagnose not sending emails problem

barnea10 · 06-24-2013, 04:28 PM

hi,
i need to send myself email from command line once my backup script is finished.

i use the following command but i don't get any email :

mail -s "backup done" myemail@gmail.com

then shows cc:

i click ctrl D as i read somewhere

and the prompt is waiting forever ...
no email received in some hours.

how can i find the problem and fix it ?
thanks
Barnea

chrism01 · 06-25-2013, 12:45 AM

Can you do that again & copy/paste exactly what you did; that 'cc:' isn't std for cmd line mail tools.
Also, post

Code:

which mail

which mailx

mailq

Note also that (I believe) people like gmail, yahoo don't accept email from dynamic IPs because of the amt of spambots out there.
You'd need a registered hostname & email address, or go via your ISP's servers.
See similar threads/google.

barnea10 · 06-25-2013, 04:02 AM

hi
thanks for your reply :

root@server:~# which mail
/usr/bin/mail
root@server:~# which mailx
/usr/bin/mailx
root@server:~# mailq
mailq: Mail queue is empty

chrism01 · 06-25-2013, 05:32 AM

See the first pt in my post.
Try again to send a mail from the cmd line and show exactly (copy/paste) what happened.
Just before you start, open another terminal and

Code:

tail -f /var/log/maillog  # or whatever your mail logfile is

& post output also.

barnea10 · 06-26-2013, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01

See the first pt in my post.
Try again to send a mail from the cmd line and show exactly (copy/paste) what happened.
Just before you start, open another terminal and

Code:

tail -f /var/log/maillog  # or whatever your mail logfile is

& post output also.

root@server:~# mail -s "backup done" barnea10@gmail.com
Cc:
Null message body; hope that's ok

root@server:~#

2nd terminal

root@server:~# tail -f /var/log/mail.log
Jun 25 00:54:45 server sSMTP[12423]: Timeout on stdin while reading body
Jun 25 04:30:10 server sSMTP[12812]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 25 04:30:10 server sSMTP[12812]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 25 04:30:13 server sSMTP[12812]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection p49sm32248100eeu.2 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=2925
Jun 26 05:03:38 server sSMTP[14672]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 26 05:03:40 server sSMTP[14672]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 26 05:03:44 server sSMTP[14672]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection bj46sm39812123eeb.13 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=2371
Jun 26 09:00:50 server sSMTP[15092]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 26 09:00:51 server sSMTP[15092]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 26 09:00:55 server sSMTP[15092]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection bj46sm40622944eeb.13 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=433
Jun 26 09:34:26 server sSMTP[15337]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 26 09:34:26 server sSMTP[15337]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 26 09:34:30 server sSMTP[15337]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection n5sm40775404eed.9 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=377

chrism01 · 06-26-2013, 04:45 AM

Can you try using mailx instead of mail; not sure it will solve, but could be informative.

barnea10 · 06-27-2013, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01

Can you try using mailx instead of mail; not sure it will solve, but could be informative.

root@server:~# mailx -s "backup done" barnea10@gmail.com
Cc:

root@server:~# tail -f /var/log/mail.log
Jun 26 05:03:44 server sSMTP[14672]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection bj46sm39812123eeb.13 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=2371
Jun 26 09:00:50 server sSMTP[15092]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 26 09:00:51 server sSMTP[15092]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 26 09:00:55 server sSMTP[15092]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection bj46sm40622944eeb.13 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=433
Jun 26 09:34:26 server sSMTP[15337]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 26 09:34:26 server sSMTP[15337]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 26 09:34:30 server sSMTP[15337]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection n5sm40775404eed.9 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=377
Jun 27 03:00:15 server sSMTP[16596]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 27 03:00:16 server sSMTP[16596]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 27 03:00:19 server sSMTP[16596]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection cg12sm330121eeb.7 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=3065
Jun 27 08:24:55 server sSMTP[17343]: Creating SSL connection to host
Jun 27 08:24:56 server sSMTP[17343]: SSL connection using RSA_ARCFOUR_SHA1
Jun 27 08:25:00 server sSMTP[17343]: Sent mail for root@gmail.com (221 2.0.0 closing connection n5sm1501948eed.9 - gsmtp) uid=0 username=root outbytes=379

descendant_command · 06-27-2013, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnea10

Sent mail for root@gmail.com

This is all kinds of wrong (unless, of course, you own gmail.com).
Fix your ssmtp.conf and/or /etc/mailname (or equivalent) to use a sensible from address.

barnea10 · 06-28-2013, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01

Can you try using mailx instead of mail; not sure it will solve, but could be informative.

using mailx did send mail but only after i got CC to enter and clicked ctrl + D

how to skip CC line and directly send the mail with mailx ?

barnea10 · 06-30-2013, 03:56 AM

i try
mailx -s "backup 4 done" -c "barnea10@gmail.com" TO-LIST
which is wrong

running
mailx -s "backup 4 done" "barnea10@gmail.com"
gives a line of
CC:
waiting for input
but i have to get it automatic without further input

please advice

thanks

chrism01 · 07-01-2013, 12:05 AM

1. See post #8; you don't own gmail.com, so that would be wrong.

2. I've never seen mail or mailx automatically ask for cc: etc; looks like they're aliased or symlinked to something else or defined as bash fns....
They're supposed to be simple cli tools.

You could check the locations ie

Code:

#check for alias
which mailx

# which gives me
/bin/mailx

#also check possible symlink
ll /bin/mailx
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 391224 Aug 22  2010 /bin/mailx

If it looks good or you can find the one as per my system, try specifying the full path '/bin/mailx ...'.

barnea10 · 07-02-2013, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrism01

1. See post #8; you don't own gmail.com, so that would be wrong.

2. I've never seen mail or mailx automatically ask for cc: etc; looks like they're aliased or symlinked to something else or defined as bash fns....
They're supposed to be simple cli tools.

You could check the locations ie

Code:

#check for alias
which mailx

# which gives me
/bin/mailx

#also check possible symlink
ll /bin/mailx
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 391224 Aug 22  2010 /bin/mailx

If it looks good or you can find the one as per my system, try specifying the full path '/bin/mailx ...'.

how to change the from email (root@gmail.com) ?

barnea10 · 07-03-2013, 03:43 AM

hi
need help to install yum on ubuntu server.
i try to run :
apt-get install yum

it doesn't succeed
and the output is :
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
libpython2.6 librpm1 librpmbuild1 librpmio1 python-rpm python-sqlite
python-sqlitecachec python-urlgrabber python2.6 python2.6-minimal rpm
rpm-common rpm2cpio
Suggested packages:
python-sqlite-dbg python2.6-doc python2.6-profiler alien elfutils rpm-i18n
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libpython2.6 librpm1 librpmbuild1 librpmio1 python-rpm python-sqlite
python-sqlitecachec python-urlgrabber python2.6 python2.6-minimal rpm
rpm-common rpm2cpio yum
0 upgraded, 14 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 5,765 kB/6,436 kB of archives.
After this operation, 23.2 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated!
python2.6-minimal python2.6 libpython2.6 librpmio1 rpm-common librpm1
librpmbuild1 python-sqlite python-urlgrabber rpm2cpio rpm python-rpm
python-sqlitecachec yum
Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-updates/main python2.6-minimal amd64 2.6.6-6ubuntu7.1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main librpmio1 amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main rpm-common amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main librpm1 amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main librpmbuild1 amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe python-sqlite amd64 1.0.1-7ubuntu2
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main python-urlgrabber all 3.9.1-4
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main rpm2cpio amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/main rpm amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty/universe python-rpm amd64 4.8.1-6ubuntu1
404 Not Found
Err http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-security/main python2.6-minimal amd64 2.6.6-6ubuntu7.1
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Err http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-security/main python2.6 amd64 2.6.6-6ubuntu7.1
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Err http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ natty-security/main libpython2.6 amd64 2.6.6-6ubuntu7.1
404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/po...u7.1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/po...u7.1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/po...u7.1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found [IP: 91.189.92.181 80]
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu2_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/....9.1-4_all.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
Failed to fetch http://il.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/...ntu1_amd64.deb 404 Not Found
E: Unable to fetch some archives, maybe run apt-get update or try with --fix-missing?

and when running with --fix-missing :
Unable to correct missing packages.
E: Aborting install.

i think i need to locally download the yum package (rpm ?) and install it.

please advice to a newbie ...

thanks

barnea10 · 07-03-2013, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnea10

how to change the from email (root@gmail.com) ?

i found out that its ssmtp
how to remove it or disable ?

descendant_command · 07-03-2013, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnea10

i found out that its ssmtp
how to remove it or disable ?

If you remove or disable it, then you won't be sending ANY email ...
Edit the ssmtp.conf to use a sane address.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnea10

hi
need help to install yum on ubuntu server.
i try to run :
apt-get install yum

WTF?