[TriLUG] e-mail configuration question

[Jon Carnes]

> > I am attempting to use my Linux lab machine as my primary source for
e-mail
> > while at work.  E-mail works great as long as it is sent between users
on
> > the same machine (i.e. mail -s "test" username) but when I attempt to
> > e-mail my account from outside of my machine (i.e. sent to
> > username at vtcdev.gc.lucent.com) the mail never arrives.  This happens
when I
> > send e-mail from outside of Lucent or from the Lucent network (just from
a
> > different machine on the network).
===

Using "nslookup" to see what your mailserver is:
> set q=mx
> vtcdev.gc.lucent.com
Server:  cajun2.srvr.haht.com
Address:  10.1.1.20

Non-authoritative answer:
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
ihemail2.lucent.com
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
auemail1.lucent.com
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
auemail2.lucent.com
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
hoemail1.lucent.com
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
hoemail2.lucent.com
vtcdev.gc.lucent.com    MX preference = 10, mail exchanger =
ihemail1.lucent.com

lucent.com      nameserver = hoextdns.lucent.com
lucent.com      nameserver = ihextdns.lucent.com
lucent.com      nameserver = auextdns.lucent.com
auemail1.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.223.161
auemail2.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.223.163
hoemail1.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.226.161
hoemail2.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.226.163
ihemail1.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.222.161
ihemail2.lucent.com     internet address = 192.11.222.163
>
===

Your mail (user@ vtcdev.gc.lucent.com) is going to one of these six servers
above... Unless those boxen have mail forwards setup that point to your
local sendmail install, then external mail will never make it to your local
box.

BTW: isn't it rather bad form to have all the servers have the same
preference.  I thought this form of "load balancing" did not really work.

Jon Carnes