I configure a sendmail on my server (it has a dynamic domain name:
vcroc.vicp.net)

now, it can receive mail from outside and send mail from localhost to
localhost.

but it cannot send outgoing email (e.g. from root@vcroc.vicp.net to
my_account@gmail.com)
The mail log says there is a makeconnection failure, as shown below. I
send a email from root@vcroc.vicp.net to xzfkiller@gmail.com:

=====================================[log level = 14]
Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com. [209.85.147.27]) failed:
Invalid argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com. [209.85.147.114]) failed:
Invalid argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com. [72.14.247.27])
failed: Invalid argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com. [66.249.91.27])
failed: Invalid argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (gsmtp183.google.com. [64.233.183.27]) failed: Invalid
argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
makeconnection (gsmtp147.google.com. [209.185.147.27])failed: Invalid
argument

Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
to=<xzfkiller@gmail.com>, ctladdr=<root@vcroc.vicp.net> (0/0),
delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=esmtp, pri=120309,
relay=gsmtp147.google.com. [209.185.147.27], dsn=4.0.0, stat=Deferred:
Invalid argument
=====================================[log level = 14]

I don't quite understand this error...
Any is truly appreciated. If needed, I can paste my sendmail.mc
or submit.mc

Thanks !

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:26:44 -0700 (PDT), Andrew <Wu.Andrew.Xi@gmail.com> wrote:
> I configure a sendmail on my server (it has a dynamic domain name:
> vcroc.vicp.net)
>
> now, it can receive mail from outside and send mail from localhost to
> localhost.
>
> but it cannot send outgoing email (e.g. from root@vcroc.vicp.net to
> my_account@gmail.com)
> The mail log says there is a makeconnection failure, as shown below. I
> send a email from root@vcroc.vicp.net to xzfkiller@gmail.com:
>
> =====================================[log level = 14]
> Mar 13 11:15:28 localhost sendmail[29737]: m2D3FSUZ029735:
> makeconnection (gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com. [209.85.147.27]) failed:
> Invalid argument

It looks like your ISP is blocking connections to port TCP/25. Can you
try simply connecting with TELNET to gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com:25?

% telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25

If that fails, then you can try connecting to the `submission' port,
which a lot of ISPs leave open:

% telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 587

If connecting to the submission port times out too, then you may have to
relay all your messages through the mail gateway of your ISP.

> % telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25

Success, it can connect.

> % telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 587

Fail, the error is:
Trying 209.85.147.114...
telnet: connect to address 209.85.147.114: Connection refused
Trying 209.85.147.27...
telnet: connect to address 209.85.147.27: Connection refused
telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection refused

Thanks

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:59:50 -0700 (PDT), Andrew <Wu.Andrew.Xi@gmail.com> wrote:
>> % telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25
>
> Success, it can connect.
>
>> % telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 587
>
> Fail, the error is:
> Trying 209.85.147.114...
> telnet: connect to address 209.85.147.114: Connection refused
> Trying 209.85.147.27...
> telnet: connect to address 209.85.147.27: Connection refused
> telnet: Unable to connect to remote host: Connection refused

Same here. I don't think Gmail supports sending email messages through
_any_ gmail*.google.com host.

There are instructions for Gmail `clients' at:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/a...n&answer=13287

Your Sendmail processes have to act like Gmail `clients', so they are
not expected to connect directly to `gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com'.

Can you describe your Sendmail setup a bit more? It seems that one of
two things are possible:

* You are trying to directly email the world from a Sendmail instance
running in an ISP's network. The ISP provides already a mail relay
which you can use.

* You are trying to use `gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com' as your mail
relay (SMART_HOST), instead of `smtp.gmail.com'.

> Can you describe your Sendmail setup a bit more? It seems that one of
> two things are possible:
>
> * You are trying to directly email the world from a Sendmail instance
> running in an ISP's network. The ISP provides already a mail relay
> which you can use.
>
> * You are trying to use `gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com' as your mail
> relay (SMART_HOST), instead of `smtp.gmail.com'.

Actually, after I comment the
lineAEMON_OPTIONS(`Name=MTA,Modifiers=b'). it works to send mail to
gmail... but fail to send mail to yahoo or my mailbox at fudan
university.
I don't quite understand the reason...

Here is my sendmail.mc. I don't use the smart host, so your first
point may be right :-)

================================================== ===========
divert(-1)dnl
include(`/usr/share/sendmail-cf/m4/cf.m4')dnl
VERSIONID(`setup for linux')dnl
OSTYPE(`linux')dnl
define(`confDEF_USER_ID', ``8:12'')dnl
define(`confDEF_USER_ID', ``8:12'')dnl
dnl define(`confAUTO_REBUILD')dnl
define(`confTO_CONNECT', `1m')dnl
define(`confTRY_NULL_MX_LIST', `True')dnl
define(`confDONT_PROBE_INTERFACES', `True')dnl
define(`PROCMAIL_MAILER_PATH', `/usr/bin/procmail')dnl
define(`ALIAS_FILE', `/etc/aliases')dnl
define(`STATUS_FILE', `/var/log/mail/statistics')dnl
define(`UUCP_MAILER_MAX', `2000000')dnl
define(`confUSERDB_SPEC', `/etc/mail/userdb.db')dnl
define(`confPRIVACY_FLAGS',
`authwarnings,novrfy,noexpn,restrictqrun')dnl
define(`confAUTH_OPTIONS', `A')dnl
define(`confTO_IDENT', `0')dnl
dnl FEATURE(delay_checks)dnl
FEATURE(`no_default_msa', `dnl')dnl
FEATURE(`smrsh', `/usr/sbin/smrsh')dnl
FEATURE(`mailertable', `hash -o /etc/mail/mailertable.db')dnl
FEATURE(`virtusertable', `hash -o /etc/mail/virtusertable.db')dnl
FEATURE(redirect)dnl
FEATURE(always_add_domain)dnl
FEATURE(use_cw_file)dnl
FEATURE(use_ct_file)dnl
FEATURE(local_procmail, `', `procmail -t -Y -a $h -d $u')dnl
FEATURE(`access_db', `hash -T<TMPF> -o /etc/mail/access.db')dnl
FEATURE(`blacklist_recipients')dnl
EXPOSED_USER(`root')dnl
FEATURE(`accept_unresolvable_domains')dnl
LOCAL_DOMAIN(`localhost')dnl
MAILER(smtp)dnl
MAILER(procmail)dnl
=============================================

On Fri, 14 Mar 2008 01:47:41 -0700 (PDT), Andrew <Wu.Andrew.Xi@gmail.com> wrote:
>Giorgos Keramidas wrote:
>> Can you describe your Sendmail setup a bit more? ÂIt seems that one of
>> two things are possible:
>>
>> * You are trying to directly email the world from a Sendmail instance
>> running in an ISP's network. ÂThe ISP provides already a mail relay
>> which you can use.
>>
>> * You are trying to use `gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com' as your mail
>> relay (SMART_HOST), instead of `smtp.gmail.com'.
>
> Actually, after I comment the
> lineAEMON_OPTIONS(`Name=MTA,Modifiers=b'). it works to send mail to
> gmail... but fail to send mail to yahoo or my mailbox at fudan
> university.
> I don't quite understand the reason...

The logfiles should contain more information about the real reason.

> Here is my sendmail.mc. I don't use the smart host, so your first
> point may be right :-)

If your address is not static, and you haven't registered a domain that
is visible from the outside world, then you _should_ use a SMART_HOST.
Some of the remote networks you have mentioned may block email access
from unknown hosts, or from randomly assigned IP addresses from your
ISP's network.