Apache, PHP or SendMail problem ??

dddlc · 04-28-2003, 06:09 AM

I am currently trialing 2 LAMP CMS systems (Xoops & e-Xoops) & am having the same problem with both, in terms of outbound e-mail from Apache.

When a new user is registered, the CMS sends an e-mail to the address nominated by the new user with activation instructions.

The problem is that when the CMS sends the message, it goes out through Sendmail as apache@machine_name.my_domain_name rather than apache@my_domain_name. When the outbound mail hits most ISP's, they reject the message with a "553 Domain of sender address apache@machine_name.my_domain.com does not exist" because it fails RDNS tests.

Normal mail is being sent & received ok when I use a network POP3/IMAP client. The problem is only occuring when the webserver sends mail via a PHP mail() function.

A sample of my maillog entry is as follows;

Apr 28 19:48:38 machine_name sendmail[9142]: h3S9mb6s009142: to=user@isp_name.com, ctladdr=apache (48/48), delay=00:00:01, xdelay=00:00:01, mailer=relay, pri=30268, relay=localhost.localdomain. [127.0.0.1], dsn=2.0.0, stat=Sent (h3S9mbKZ009144 Message accepted for delivery)

Apr 28 19:48:39 machine_name sendmail[9146]: h3S9mbKZ009144: to=<user@isp_name.com>, ctladdr=<apache@machine_name.my_domain.com> (48/48), delay=00:00:01, xdelay=00:00:01, mailer=esmtp, pri=30463, relay=mail.isp_name.com. [nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn], dsn=5.6.0, stat=Data format error

I have subsituted the actual details with fake details in italics

Any ideas of where the problem lies - is it Apache, PHP or Sendmail that is generating the incorrect e-mail address.

jharris · 04-28-2003, 06:28 AM

It sounds to me like you need to actively specify a "from" address in the PHP that is generating the mail. Taken from http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.mail.php

Code:

mail("nobody@example.com", "the subject", $message,
     "From: webmaster@$SERVER_NAME\r\n"
    ."Reply-To: webmaster@$SERVER_NAME\r\n"
    ."X-Mailer: PHP/" . phpversion());

HTH

Jamie...

dddlc · 04-28-2003, 07:11 AM

James,

Thanks for the reply, but I found the problem. I had to setup both MASQUERADE_AS(my_domain.com) and FEATURE(`masquerade_envelope') in my sendmail.mc & re-do sendmail.cf

I thought that I had done this, but must have forgotten. Mail from the webserver now goes out as apache@my_domain.com

David.

jharris · 04-28-2003, 07:13 AM

Glad you got it working!

Jamie...