Unable to send emails using mail command

alpha01 · 07-25-2008, 06:21 PM

Hello everyone,

I currently have a Debian Etch server configured and running. I was able to send emails using the mail command before. However as of today I'm not able to do so. I tried starting the /etc/init.d/sendmail script but I wasn't able to locate the service script or the config script either.

I have checked the system to see if it has working email server and was able to connect with out any problems. (telnet 127.0.0.1 25)

Any suggestions why I'm still not able to send emails using the mail command?

Mr. C. · 07-25-2008, 07:18 PM

What do your mail logs show (/var/log/maillog) ?

alpha01 · 07-28-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. C.

What do you mail logs show (/var/log/maillog) ?

I check the the /var/log directory and the following directories were empty mail.err mail.info mail.log mail.warn

Though I'm not sure why the daemon script(/etc/init.d/sendmail is not present in the system).

I appreciate your help.
Thanks!

Mr. C. · 07-28-2008, 09:31 PM

Show the output of :

telnet localhost 25
netstat -aln | grep 25
ls -l /usr/*/sendmail

alpha01 · 07-29-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. C.

Show the output of :

telnet localhost 25
netstat -rn | grep 25
ls -l /usr/*/sendmail

backup:~# telnet localhost 25
Trying 127.0.0.1...
Connected to localhost.localdomain.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 backup ESMTP Exim 4.63 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:09:08 -0700

netstat -rn | grep 25
192.168.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.0.0 U 0 0 0 eth1

ls -l /usr/*/sendmail
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 2008-03-11 11:33 /usr/lib/sendmail -> ../sbin/exim4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 5 2008-03-11 11:33 /usr/sbin/sendmail -> exim4

/etc/init.d/exim4 status
checking separate queue runner daemon...done (not running).
checking combined SMTP listener and queue runner daemon...done (running).

Mr. C. · 07-29-2008, 03:05 PM

I don't know what startup scripts debian uses to startup exim's daemons. Perhaps it is /etc/init.d/exim or some variant.

What happens when you try to send mail ?

[ ps. my netstat command had a typo - the arguments should have been -aln ]

avijitp · 07-29-2008, 11:14 PM

Your mail logs should be in /var/log/exim4. What are they saying? Need to check how exim is configured. Have a look into the /etc/exim.conf file.

alpha01 · 08-21-2008, 01:36 PM

I can't figure out why its a DNS issue

Code:

recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

  tony.baltazar@trinetsolutions.com
    Unrouteable address

------ This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ------

Return-path: <root@backup.trinetcom.com>
Received: from root by backup with local (Exim 4.63)
        (envelope-from <root@backup.trinetcom.com>)
        id 1KVUUn-0001tP-Rl; Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:55:49 -0700
To: all@backup.trinetcom.com, finally@backup.trinetcom.com,
        messages@backup.trinetcom.com, removed@backup.trinetcom.com,
        tony.baltazar@trinetsolutions.com
Subject: test email
Message-Id: <E1KVUUn-0001tP-Rl@backup>
From: root <root@backup.trinetcom.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:55:49 -0700

backup:~# exim -Mvb 1KVUai-0001uJ-L4
1KVUai-0001uJ-L4-D
This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

  tony.baltazar@trinetsolutions.com
    Unrouteable address

------ This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ------

Return-path: <root@backup.trinetcom.com>
Received: from root by backup with local (Exim 4.63)
        (envelope-from <root@backup.trinetcom.com>)
        id 1KVUai-0001uH-JK
        for tony.baltazar@trinetsolutions.com; Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:01:56 -0700
To: tony.baltazar@trinetsolutions.com
Subject: Test
Message-Id: <E1KVUai-0001uH-JK@backup>
From: root <root@backup.trinetcom.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:01:56 -0700

This is just a test mail
test mail two

Mr. C. · 08-21-2008, 09:32 PM

On your mail system, what is the output of :

host trinetsolutions.com

alpha01 · 08-22-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. C.

On your mail system, what is the output of :

host trinetsolutions.com

backup:~# host trinesolutions.com
trinesolutions.com has address 74.52.84.210
trinesolutions.com mail is handled by 0 trinesolutions.com.

Mr. C. · 08-22-2008, 01:25 PM

So now the question is, can you telnet to port 25 of that address:

telnet 74.52.84.210 25

alpha01 · 08-27-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. C.

So now the question is, can you telnet to port 25 of that address:

telnet 74.52.84.210 25

I mistype the hostname. It should be trinetsolutions.com not trinesolutions.com. I can't telnet to that host on port 25 because their is not mail server running on it (connection refused as well).

I removed the mail queue and restarted the exim 4 daemon and was able to send emails to different address successfully. But I still not able to send mail to any address in the trinetsolutions.com domain. Email header indicates that the hostname is unreachable. (DNS )

Mr. C. · 08-27-2008, 02:08 PM

Use the logs as your source of diagnostics, not the bounced mail message.

I see trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by:

Code:

$ host trinetsolutions.com 
trinetsolutions.com has address 216.177.75.66
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 30 aspmx2.googlemail.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 30 aspmx3.googlemail.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 30 aspmx4.googlemail.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 30 aspmx5.googlemail.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 10 aspmx.l.google.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 20 alt1.aspmx.l.google.com.
trinetsolutions.com mail is handled by 20 alt2.aspmx.l.google.com.

So you'd have to telnet to one of the listed MX servers, not the trinetsolutions.com IP address shown.

alpha01 · 08-29-2008, 06:11 PM

It turned out the reason why exim wasn't able to email messages to the trinetsolutions.com domain is because the email server is configured to be part as a subdomain of it. This causes exim to get confused and found any address sent to that domain unreachable.

I appreciate you help Mr. C!!!

This command verified this:
exim -d -bt user@mydomain.com