Outside Mail Server

Dan8080 · 04-30-2007, 10:08 PM

Hi,

I have CentOS 4.4 and I would like to set up PHP so it will email a remote SMTP server when it sends mail. This being my ISPs SMTP server.

I did this on my test windows box:

Code:

[mail function]
; For Win32 only.
SMTP = mail.optonline.net

; For Win32 only.
sendmail_from = jcink@jcink.com

; SMTP port
smtp_port=25

My current email server is sendmail. That's what PHP is configured to use.

And this worked fine, it sent mail without a problem at all. But what is the Linux way to get this done? I've tried google searching, and I didn't come up with a lot of helpful results. I tried configuring a program called minisendmail, but it didn't work for me.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

fukawi2 · 05-01-2007, 02:01 AM

Do you mean you want to specify the mail server that the mail() function will use, or you just a method to do it - not necessarily with mail() function?

Dan8080 · 05-01-2007, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Do you mean you want to specify the mail server that the mail() function will use, or you just a method to do it - not necessarily with mail() function?

Hi,

I would like just the mail(); function to work. It has to be mail();, not something like phpmailer package.

I've been trying to get sendmail to send to a remote host but I've been pulling my hair out. My ISP doesn't require auth, and I have sent numerous emails through just telnet just fine. Yet whenever I try

define(`SMART_HOST',`mail.optonline.net')

it doesn't work. no emails get sent.

Quote:

[root@localhost ~]# echo hello | sendmail -v jcink2k@gmail.com
jcink2k@gmail.com... Connecting to [127.0.0.1] via relay...
220 localhost.localdomain ESMTP Sendmail 8.13.1/8.13.1; Tue, 1 May 2007 15:40:26 -0400
>>> EHLO localhost.localdomain
250-localhost.localdomain Hello localhost.localdomain [127.0.0.1], pleased to meet you
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250-SIZE
250-DSN
250-ETRN
250-AUTH DIGEST-MD5 CRAM-MD5
250-DELIVERBY
250 HELP
>>> MAIL From:<root@localhost.localdomain> SIZE=6 AUTH=root@localhost.localdomain
250 2.1.0 <root@localhost.localdomain>... Sender ok
>>> RCPT To:<jcink2k@gmail.com>
>>> DATA
250 2.1.5 <jcink2k@gmail.com>... Recipient ok
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line by itself
>>> .
250 2.0.0 l41JeQdv016831 Message accepted for delivery
jcink2k@gmail.com... Sent (l41JeQdv016831 Message accepted for delivery)
Closing connection to [127.0.0.1]
>>> QUIT
221 2.0.0 localhost.localdomain closing connection

It seems to be totally igoring my smart host (?) also, no email gets delivered, even though it says it was sent and accepted... I have tried even turning off the firewalls and no luck.

I have this working if I remove the SMART_HOST. I've been running this mail server the whole time off port 25 and it is working fine, but my issue is that I've been blacklisted and have put up with it for the longest time. Then I discovered this method could be used to get around the blacklist, use my ISP instead of my own. Which is why I'm doing this.

fukawi2 · 05-01-2007, 06:01 PM

Have you recompiled the sendmail config file with m4 and restarted sendmail?

Dan8080 · 05-01-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Have you recompiled the sendmail config file with m4 and restarted sendmail?

Yea, I have. I even see the change in the sendmail.cf file when I do it.

DSmail.optonline.net

which seems to be correct... right?

fukawi2 · 05-02-2007, 08:14 PM

Well I can't access that server:

Code:

[phillips@poweredge2400 ~]$ telnet DSmail.optonline.net 25
Trying 208.67.219.130...
telnet: connect to address 208.67.219.130: Connection refused
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection refused

Perhaps sendmail reverts to doing it's own thing when it can't contact your ISP's SMTP server?

Dan8080 · 05-03-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Well I can't access that server:

Code:

[phillips@poweredge2400 ~]$ telnet DSmail.optonline.net 25
Trying 208.67.219.130...
telnet: connect to address 208.67.219.130: Connection refused
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection refused

Perhaps sendmail reverts to doing it's own thing when it can't contact your ISP's SMTP server?

Thing is, it isn't DSmail.optonline.net

It's just mail.optonline.net

When I do the changes, in sendmail.cf, on the DS line, it shows DSmail.optonline.net

I have also tried editing sendmail.cf directly, and making it DS mail.optonline.net, but no luck...

fukawi2 · 05-03-2007, 06:20 PM

Whoops - wasn't focusing, lol

I still can't connect to that server:

Code:

[phillips@poweredge2400 ~]$ telnet mail.optonline.net 25
Trying 167.206.5.250...

It just times out... I tried from 3 different computers on 2 independant networks...

Dan8080 · 05-03-2007, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Whoops - wasn't focusing, lol

I still can't connect to that server:

Code:

[phillips@poweredge2400 ~]$ telnet mail.optonline.net 25
Trying 167.206.5.250...

It just times out... I tried from 3 different computers on 2 independant networks...

I am able to connect though. The ISP is probably rejecting your connection because you're outside their network.

fukawi2 · 05-04-2007, 12:19 AM

Can you post /var/log/mail after sending one of your test e-mails for us?

Dan8080 · 05-14-2007, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Can you post /var/log/mail after sending one of your test e-mails for us?

Hi, sorry for the late reply.

I don't have anything in /var/log/mail except a statistics file...

fukawi2 · 05-15-2007, 12:51 AM

Interesting... I can't explain that one... Anyone else?

Dan8080 · 05-15-2007, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi2

Interesting... I can't explain that one... Anyone else?

Hi,

It's ok, thanks anyway. I'm not sure why, but it decided to start working today. Heh... mail is sending fine, and when I do the test, it picks up optimums information. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm glad it works.

digitalnerds · 05-16-2007, 02:27 AM

I recommend using a third party software. I am using XPM2 for sending mails from within php under linux. It is a mail class written by the folks at xpertmailer.com. I am using it currently to send mails by gmail using TLS. It works flawlesly.