mail command not working

ahingert · 10-04-2010, 04:22 AM

Hi,
I have a Fedora server on which the mail command has ceased to work. It used to work up to a couple of days ago, but now the following line simply does not send any mail:

Code:

/bin/mail -s "logfile for cron" cron@example.com </var/log/cron-log

Interestingly the PHP mail () function is still working and I am still able to send and receive email using Postfix and Dovecot, but trying to send email from the command line simply does not work.

The problem is that I have no idea where to start to debug. I've looked into the maillog file, but I cannot see anything abnormal. Does anybody know where I should be looking?

Thanks,
Adrien

dlugasx · 10-04-2010, 04:44 AM

Have You tried "sendmail" ?

cheers

Dlugasxx

carlosinfl · 10-04-2010, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlugasx

Have You tried "sendmail" ?

cheers

Dlugasxx

The problem here is not the MTA (Postfix) and there is no reason to use a less secure / complex daemon to troubleshoot. You can review the Postfix logs while you try and run the script manually:

Code:

 tail -n 50 /var/log/maillog

Also check that 'mail' package wasn't removed from Fedora by some strange reason.

Code:

which mail

Post some logs from Postfix while the script attempts to run the 'mail' command or try sending an email alone using 'mail' before you incorporate the command in a complex script. See if it works alone...

ahingert · 10-05-2010, 10:15 AM

Hi dlugasx, Hi carlosinfl,
Thanks for your suggestions.

I've tried "which mail" and the recult was "/bin/mail".

I have also tried the following three testcases...

Code:

/bin/mail -s "test 1" cron@example.com </var/log/cron-log
mail -s "test 2" cron@example.com </var/log/cron-log
sendmail -s "test 3" cron@example.com </var/log/cron-log

...and here is what I got in the maillog:

Code:

Oct  5 15:12:05 example-web sendmail[16115]: o95FC5jk016115: from=root, size=1469, class=0, nrcpts=1, msgid=<201010051512.o95FC5jk016115@localhost6.localdomain6>, relay=root@localhost
Oct  5 15:12:05 example-web sendmail[16115]: o95FC5jk016115: to=cron@example.com, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=31469, stat=queued
Oct  5 15:12:11 example-web sendmail[16117]: o95FCB0E016117: from=root, size=1469, class=0, nrcpts=1, msgid=<201010051512.o95FCB0E016117@localhost6.localdomain6>, relay=root@localhost
Oct  5 15:12:11 example-web sendmail[16117]: o95FCB0E016117: to=cron@example.com, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=31469, stat=queued
Oct  5 15:12:17 example-web sendmail[16118]: o95FCHSM016118: from=root, size=1260, class=0, nrcpts=3, msgid=<201010051512.o95FCHSM016118@localhost6.localdomain6>, relay=root@localhost
Oct  5 15:12:17 example-web sendmail[16118]: o95FCHSM016118: to=3, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=91260, stat=queued
Oct  5 15:12:17 example-web sendmail[16118]: o95FCHSM016118: to=test, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=91260, stat=queued
Oct  5 15:12:17 example-web sendmail[16118]: o95FCHSM016118: to=cron@example.com, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=91260, stat=queued

Unfortunately none of the three test emails arrived.
Any ideas?

Thanks,
Adrien

carlosinfl · 10-05-2010, 12:45 PM

This sounds dumb but can you check /etc/aliases & verify that which ever email account user you're checking is configured to receive email for 'root'?

Perhaps just running:

Code:

newaliases

and

Code:

/etc/init.d/postfix reload

Let us know what you find...

ahingert · 10-06-2010, 09:07 AM

Hi carlosinfl,
I've tried sending the email to an external account and have tried reloading postfix, but neither seems to be doing the trick or giving any clue as to why it's not working. Thanks for your help!

Adrien

carlosinfl · 10-06-2010, 09:12 AM

Your DNS looks very weird from your logs. First off I want to make sure that you're using Postfix, not Sendmail, right? Second, lets look at your machine's FQDN by posting the results of:

Code:

[carlos@tuna ~]$ hostname -f
tuna.iamghost.com

Let's make sure your mail server knows what it it's own name is. Then we should look at your Postfix configuration file. Can you paste the output of 'postconf -n' command here. You can omit any IP or information you don't want public.

linuxrndblog · 10-07-2010, 05:32 AM

Dear Adrien,

Which Mail Servers you are Configured??? Sendmail or Postfix???

ahingert · 10-07-2010, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxrndblog

Which Mail Servers you are Configured??? Sendmail or Postfix???

Postfix

ahingert · 10-07-2010, 09:27 AM

Hi carlosinfl,
The reply of hostname -f is example-web, while the Postfix configuration file is:

Quote:

alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases
alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes
command_directory = /usr/sbin
config_directory = /etc/postfix
daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix
data_directory = /var/lib/postfix
debug_peer_level = 2
disable_vrfy_command = yes
home_mailbox = Maildir/
html_directory = no
inet_interfaces = all
inet_protocols = all
invalid_hostname_reject_code = 450
local_transport = virtual
mail_owner = postfix
mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq.postfix
manpage_directory = /usr/share/man
maps_rbl_reject_code = 450
mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost
mydomain = example.com
myhostname = mail.example.com
mynetworks = $config_directory/mynetworks
mynetworks_style = host
myorigin = $mydomain
newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases.postfix
non_fqdn_reject_code = 450
queue_directory = /var/spool/postfix
readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix-2.5.5/README_FILES
sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix-2.5.5/samples
sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail.postfix
setgid_group = postdrop
smtp_tls_CAfile = /etc/pki/tls/certs/example_com.ca-bundle
smtp_tls_cert_file = /etc/pki/tls/certs/example_com.crt
smtp_tls_key_file = /etc/pki/tls/private/myserver.key
smtp_tls_security_level = may
smtp_tls_session_cache_database = btree:$data_directory/smtp_tls_session_cache
smtpd_helo_required = yes
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_mynetworks permit_sasl_authenticated reject_unauth_destination
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtpd_sasl_exceptions_networks = $mynetworks
smtpd_sasl_local_domain = $myhostname
smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth
smtpd_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
smtpd_tls_CAfile = /etc/pki/tls/certs/example_com.ca-bundle
smtpd_tls_ask_ccert = yes
smtpd_tls_auth_only = yes
smtpd_tls_cert_file = /etc/pki/tls/certs/example_com.crt
smtpd_tls_key_file = /etc/pki/tls/private/myserver.key
smtpd_tls_loglevel = 1
smtpd_tls_received_header = yes
smtpd_tls_security_level = may
tls_random_source = dev:/dev/urandom
unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 550
virtual_alias_maps = proxy:mysql:$config_directory/mysql_virtual_alias_maps.cf
virtual_gid_maps = static:12
virtual_mailbox_base = /var/vmail
virtual_mailbox_domains = proxy:mysql:$config_directory/mysql_virtual_domains_maps.cf
virtual_mailbox_maps = proxy:mysql:$config_directory/mysql_virtual_mailbox_maps.cf
virtual_minimum_uid = 101
virtual_uid_maps = static:101

Thanks,
Adrien