I'm running Mandriva 2006. I'm setting up a website and Diplomacy judge
for fun. :-)

My Internet connection is via cable modem. The ISP has, rightly, blocked
port 25. I need to send mail through the server mail.asciiking.com using
port 2025. Judging from this error:

Apr 30 19:38:30 localhost postfix/smtp[28475]: fatal: valid hostname or
network address required in SMTP server description:
SMTP:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025

The following setting in my main.conf is wrong:

relayhost = SMTP:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025

I've tried a few other variations on that theme based on some on-line
documentation/, but if I hit the right syntax at any point some
other problem obscure success. How should that line read?

I also have the following warnings:

Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/master[4515]: warning: process
/usr/lib64/postfix/smtp pid 28474 exit status 1
Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/master[4515]: warning:
/usr/lib64/postfix/smtp: bad command startup -- throttling
Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/master[4515]: warning: process
/usr/lib64/postfix/smtp pid 28475 exit status 1
Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/qmgr[28259]: warning: premature
end-of-input on private/smtp socket while reading input attribute name
Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/qmgr[28259]: warning: private/smtp
socket: malformed response
Apr 30 19:38:31 localhost postfix/qmgr[28259]: warning: transport smtp
failure -- see a previous warning/fatal/panic logfile record for the
problem description

Is this caused by the problem above or do I have some other issues to
look forward to? I've confirmed that SASL support is compiled into the
installation.

Thank you in advance. The that I received with my last question was
invaluable.

Chris

Chris B wrote:


> The following setting in my main.conf is wrong:
> relayhost = SMTP:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025

The correct syntax is:

relayhost = mail.asciiking.com:2025 (if you want to use MX and "A" DNS records for mail.asciiking.com)

relayhost = [mail.asciiking.com]:2025 (if you want to use only "A" DNS records for mail.asciiking.com)


In modern versions of Postfix, you can leave the relayhost unset, and specify
the default relayhost at the very end of your "transport" file, such as:

* smtp:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025


Note: Case is significant. It must be "smtp" and not "SMTP".

--
Greg

Greg Hackney wrote:
> Chris B wrote:
>
>
>> The following setting in my main.conf is wrong:
>> relayhost = SMTP:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025
>
>
> The correct syntax is:
>
> relayhost = mail.asciiking.com:2025 (if you want to use MX and "A" DNS
> records for mail.asciiking.com)
>
> relayhost = [mail.asciiking.com]:2025 (if you want to use only "A" DNS
> records for mail.asciiking.com)

One of the books I read said that using the square brackets was
important with a "We'll explain why later in the book," for my
information at that point. I think that was "Postfix : the definitive
guide." If the book had been a chewed up and spit out version of "man
postfix" or "postfix.org" that would have been an improvement. It was
more like a "printed in Taiwan" software manual than anything else.

> In modern versions of Postfix, you can leave the relayhost unset, and
> specify
> the default relayhost at the very end of your "transport" file, such as:
>
> * smtp:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025
>
>
> Note: Case is significant. It must be "smtp" and not "SMTP".

Thank you. That did it, clearing up the other list of warnings, etc.
that I had as well.

I'm finally getting through to the server, but I'm getting a "550
Administrative prohibition (in reply to end of data command)", so it's
pretty clear that I don't have my authentication ducks in a row. I've
already had issues with the host about a similar issue from my mail
client. Their docs read:

Manual Settings
Mail Server Username: cbabcock+asciiking.com
Incoming Mail Server: mail.asciiking.com
Outgoing Mail Server: mail.asciiking.com (server requires authentication)
Supported Incoming Mail Protocols: POP3, POP3S (SSL/TLS), IMAP, IMAPS
(SSL/TLS)
Supported Outgoing Mail Protocols: SMTP, SMTPS (SSL/TLS)

According to a telnet session with the port, only plain and login
authorization are supported.

When outgoing mail for my desktop client, Thunderbird, stopped one day,
the reply to my support ticket was, "Turn off authentication and switch
ports." Their idea of spam control is to turn off smtp for the day after
400 messages.

Well, enough venting... this is the bigger part of my main.conf:

# User configurable parameters

inet_interfaces = localhost
mynetworks_style = host
delay_warning_time = 4h
smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name ($mail_version) (Mandriva Linux)
unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 450
smtp-filter_destination_concurrency_limit = 2
lmtp-filter_destination_concurrency_limit = 2
smtpd_sasl_path = /etc/postfix/sasl:/usr/lib64/sasl2
recipient_delimiter = +
owner_request_special = no
alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/aliases
mydomain = asciiking.com
myorigin = $mydomain
relayhost = [mail.asciiking.com]:2025
smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
smtp_generic_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/generic

I've checked the server, username and password combo in sasl_passwd and
stored the map values in a hash file. The username has a "+", but that
could be changed to @ or % if needed. Specify the port number as part of
the server address doesn't seem to change the results. The contents
"mail.asciiking.com:2025 user+asciiking.com:password" produce the 550
error just as well as "mail.asciiking.com user+asciiking.com:password".

Chris

Chris B wrote:
> Greg Hackney wrote:
>
>> Chris B wrote:
>>
>>
>>> The following setting in my main.conf is wrong:
>>> relayhost = SMTP:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025
>>
>>
>>
>> The correct syntax is:
>>
>> relayhost = mail.asciiking.com:2025 (if you want to use MX and "A"
>> DNS records for mail.asciiking.com)
>>
>> relayhost = [mail.asciiking.com]:2025 (if you want to use only "A"
>> DNS records for mail.asciiking.com)
>
>
> One of the books I read said that using the square brackets was
> important with a "We'll explain why later in the book," for my
> information at that point. I think that was "Postfix : the definitive
> guide." If the book had been a chewed up and spit out version of "man
> postfix" or "postfix.org" that would have been an improvement. It was
> more like a "printed in Taiwan" software manual than anything else.
>
>> In modern versions of Postfix, you can leave the relayhost unset, and
>> specify
>> the default relayhost at the very end of your "transport" file, such as:
>>
>> * smtp:[mail.asciiking.com]:2025
>>
>>
>> Note: Case is significant. It must be "smtp" and not "SMTP".
>
>
> Thank you. That did it, clearing up the other list of warnings, etc.
> that I had as well.
>
> I'm finally getting through to the server, but I'm getting a "550
> Administrative prohibition (in reply to end of data command)", so it's
> pretty clear that I don't have my authentication ducks in a row. I've
> already had issues with the host about a similar issue from my mail
> client. Their docs read:
>
> Manual Settings
> Mail Server Username: cbabcock+asciiking.com
> Incoming Mail Server: mail.asciiking.com
> Outgoing Mail Server: mail.asciiking.com (server requires authentication)
> Supported Incoming Mail Protocols: POP3, POP3S (SSL/TLS), IMAP, IMAPS
> (SSL/TLS)
> Supported Outgoing Mail Protocols: SMTP, SMTPS (SSL/TLS)
>
> According to a telnet session with the port, only plain and login
> authorization are supported.
>
> When outgoing mail for my desktop client, Thunderbird, stopped one day,
> the reply to my support ticket was, "Turn off authentication and switch
> ports." Their idea of spam control is to turn off smtp for the day after
> 400 messages.
>
> Well, enough venting... this is the bigger part of my main.conf:
>
> # User configurable parameters
>
> inet_interfaces = localhost
> mynetworks_style = host
> delay_warning_time = 4h
> smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name ($mail_version) (Mandriva
> Linux)
> unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 450
> smtp-filter_destination_concurrency_limit = 2
> lmtp-filter_destination_concurrency_limit = 2
> smtpd_sasl_path = /etc/postfix/sasl:/usr/lib64/sasl2
> recipient_delimiter = +
> owner_request_special = no
> alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/aliases
> mydomain = asciiking.com
> myorigin = $mydomain
> relayhost = [mail.asciiking.com]:2025
> smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
> smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
> smtp_generic_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/generic
>
> I've checked the server, username and password combo in sasl_passwd and
> stored the map values in a hash file. The username has a "+", but that
> could be changed to @ or % if needed. Specify the port number as part of
> the server address doesn't seem to change the results. The contents
> "mail.asciiking.com:2025 user+asciiking.com:password" produce the 550
> error just as well as "mail.asciiking.com user+asciiking.com:password".
>
> Chris

You might try adding another line in sasl_passwd for serv01.siteground125.com,
which is the real name of the mail server (mail.asciiking.com).

Also, are there any clues in the Postfix log files (normally in /var/log/maillog on Linux).
--
Greg

P.S. I have that book "Postfix - The Definitive Guide". There is a one-liner on page 107 that
says "The hostname in brackets is to prevent Postfix from looking up MX records. Instead,
it looks up the A record and delivers to the IP address that the hostname resolves to."

> You might try adding another line in sasl_passwd for
> serv01.siteground125.com,

I added that line for that server. The session below is basically the
same as what I was getting before.

> which is the real name of the mail server (mail.asciiking.com).
>
> Also, are there any clues in the Postfix log files (normally in
> /var/log/maillog on Linux).

Here's the result of the latest test message. This is from the "info"
file. No "warnings" or "errors" were generated.

May 1 16:13:08 localhost postfix/postfix-script: refreshing the Postfix
mail system
May 1 16:13:08 localhost postfix/master[4515]: reload configuration
/etc/postfix

I reloaded postfix after adding the server's real name to the hash file.

May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: connect from
localhost[127.0.0.1]
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: 8E77880985:
client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/cleanup[8324]: 8E77880985:
message-id=<44569632.3040802@cox.net>
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: 8E77880985:
from=<gfertia@cox.net>, size=1281, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/local[8325]: 8E77880985:
to=<judge@localhost.asciiking.com>, orig_to=<judge@localhost>,
relay=local, delay=0, status=sent (delivered to command:
/home/judge/judge-1.7.5/bin/rdip -b -d /home/judge/judge-1.7.5/bin )
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: 8E77880985: removed
May 1 16:14:02 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: disconnect from
localhost[127.0.0.1]

Fetchmail retrieved the test message off the remote server and delivered
it to the Diplomacy judge... This is what you ed me with before.

May 1 16:14:05 localhost postfix/pickup[8317]: F34E080D24: uid=502
from=<judge>
May 1 16:14:05 localhost postfix/cleanup[8324]: F34E080D24:
message-id=<20060501231405.F34E080D24@ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net>
May 1 16:14:05 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: F34E080D24:
from=<judge@asciiking.com>, size=2176, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 1 16:14:06 localhost postfix/smtp[8387]: F34E080D24:
to=<gfertia@cox.net>, relay=asciiking.com[207.218.208.14], delay=1,
status=bounced (host asciiking.com[207.218.208.14] said: 550
Administrative prohibition (in reply to end of DATA command))

The e-mail message generated by the bot is bounced by the mail server.
I'm curious as to why the remote server waits until the end of DATA
command to reject the message. It suggests that the server accepted the
credentials, but didn't "like" the message.

May 1 16:14:06 localhost postfix/cleanup[8324]: DA81C80D3C:
message-id=<20060501231406.DA81C80D3C@ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net>
May 1 16:14:06 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: DA81C80D3C: from=<>,
size=4091, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 1 16:14:06 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: F34E080D24: removed
May 1 16:14:07 localhost postfix/smtp[8387]: DA81C80D3C:
to=<judge@asciiking.com>, relay=asciiking.com[207.218.208.14], delay=1,
status=sent (250 OK id=1FahcO-0005iN-GG)
May 1 16:14:07 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: DA81C80D3C: removed

The same server that rejected the message now accepts a bounce message
from postfix.

May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: connect from
localhost[127.0.0.1]
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: 6320580985:
client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/cleanup[8324]: 6320580985:
message-id=<20060501231406.DA81C80D3C@ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net>
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: 6320580985: from=<>,
size=4729, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/local[8325]: 6320580985:
to=<judge@localhost.asciiking.com>, orig_to=<judge@localhost>,
relay=local, delay=0, status=sent (delivered to command:
/home/judge/judge-1.7.5/bin/rdip -b -d /home/judge/judge-1.7.5/bin )
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/qmgr[8318]: 6320580985: removed
May 1 16:14:51 localhost postfix/smtpd[8321]: disconnect from
localhost[127.0.0.1]

Just 45 seconds later (the polling interval for fetchmail), fetchmail
pulls the bounced mail off the remote server and hands it to postfix.

So why does the remote server allow postfix to send the bounce message
but not the original? If this is getting off-topic for postfix, I'll use
one of my support tickets for it. I really appreciate the , however,
and I want to understand what's going on in my machine so that I'm not
any more of a menace to good users on the Internet than Siteground and
Cox force me to be.

> --
> Greg
>
> P.S. I have that book "Postfix - The Definitive Guide". There is a
> one-liner on page 107 that
> says "The hostname in brackets is to prevent Postfix from looking
> up MX records. Instead,
> it looks up the A record and delivers to the IP address that the
> hostname resolves to."

I didn't think they were lying. I just fell asleep by that point. :-)

I'm sure the book is a good value for anyone who knows well enough what
they are doing that they just need a reference for the details. I'm a
hard case, though. I needed something to me understand postfix
well enough so that I could ask the right questions to understand my
installation, so I'm glad that the postfix books I am using came from
the library. I'm pretty sure that I haven't changed any configurations
to create an open relay. Apart from that, the only postfix user on the
machine is the Diplomacy bot, which will gracefully ignore ads for
c-A1is and barely runs its own code, let alone anything else - so I
don't have to worry about hosing the whole install by setting up spam
filters. All-in-all, I'm not the target buyer for "Postfix: A Definitive
Guide," but I do want to make certain that my install doesn't
inconvenience anyone else.

In case it's possible that it might be an issue, I've include the
headers from the mail generated below. The bounce message clearly shows
that it went through the Siteground servers.

Chris

======

From the bounce message:

Return-Path: <>
X-Original-To: judge@localhost
Delivered-To: judge@localhost.asciiking.com
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1])
by ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6320580985
for <judge@localhost>; Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:51 -0700 (MST)
Envelope-to: judge@asciiking.com
Delivery-date: Mon, 01 May 2006 18:15:52 -0500
Received: from asciiking.com [207.218.208.14]
by localhost with POP3 (fetchmail-6.2.5)
for judge@localhost (single-drop); Mon, 01 May 2006 16:14:51
-0700 (MST)
Received: from ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net ([68.231.19.124]:35534)
by serv01.siteground125.com with esmtp (Exim 4.52)
id 1FahcO-0005iN-GG
for judge@asciiking.com; Mon, 01 May 2006 18:15:52 -0500
Received: by ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net (Postfix)
id DA81C80D3C; Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:06 -0700 (MST)
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:06 -0700 (MST)
From: MAILER-DAEMON@asciiking.com (Mail Delivery System)
Subject: Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender
To: judge@asciiking.com
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-status;
boundary="F34E080D24.1146525246/ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net"
Message-Id: <20060501231406.DA81C80D3C@ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net>


From the message attempted:

Received: by ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net (Postfix, from userid 502)
id F34E080D24; Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:05 -0700 (MST)
From: Diplomacy Judge <judge@askiiking.com>
To: gfertia@cox.net
Subject: Re: USAK test
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Comments: Using sendmail
Organization: TBD
X-Mailer: script shell from njudge 1.7.5
X-Njudge: YES
X-Njudge-Version:
Message-Id: <20060501231405.F34E080D24@ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net>
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:05 -0700 (MST)

> From the message attempted:
>
> Received: by ip68-231-19-124.ph.ph.cox.net (Postfix, from userid 502)
> id F34E080D24; Mon, 1 May 2006 16:14:05 -0700 (MST)
> From: Diplomacy Judge <judge@askiiking.com>

There's a typo in the "From:" address. That's probably it. If not, I'll
try the question again.

Thanks for all the fish,
Chris