[TriLUG] Sendmail oddities

[Brian Henning]

Yeah, it's supposed to, which is why I suspect the buggered MailScanner 
installation as the root of the problem..  but I'm still curious as to 
why sendmail appears to start and be running of its own, according to 
the initscripts, but isn't according to webmin.  I suppose the thing to 
do would be fixing MailScanner...  Eventually I do want its functionality.

~B

mark at thefowles.com wrote:
> I may be wrong, but doesn't MailScanner once installed take the place of
> "sendmail" as far as control?
> 
>> Hi Gang,
>>    I think this is related to a buggered MailScanner install, but take a
>> look and let me know if it sounds like a good hunch:
>>
>> (FC3 server on relatively new hardware)
>>
>> - During init, MailScanner tries to start but fails due to
>> something-or-other.  Bad config, maybe; just haven't had time to futz
>> with it.
>> - Later in init, sendmail starts with an [ OK ] result.
>>
>> All seems well.  Furthermore:
>> from somewhere outside, telnet myserver.net 25 results in a normal
>> conversation with sendmail, from MAIL FROM:<...> through DATA ... all
>> the way to RSET and QUIT.  200-code success on every command.
>>
>> HOWEVER...
>> The message from said entirely normal conversation seems, by all
>> appearances, to be falling into the bit bucket--it does not end up in
>> the recipient's mailbox.  Yet:
>>
>> % service sendmail status
>> sendmail (pid blah blah blah) is running...
>>
>> % service dovecot status
>> dovecot (pid blah blah blah) is running...
>>
>> BUT:
>> when I go to the sendmail module of webmin on that server, the
>> start/stop button at the bottom is showing the START option, not the
>> STOP option, and once I click Start Sendmail in webmin, sendmail begins
>> actually functioning correctly.
>>
>> So:
>> - Why does sendmail indicate itself to be running to the service command
>> (and the init script), and carry out valid conversations on port 25, if
>> it's not really running [correctly]?
>> - Where do those messages go?
>> - And how come only webmin is alert enough to realize that sendmail is
>> in fact /not/ running [properly], and is able to correct it?  What does
>> it know that I don't? (obviously lots, but still...)
>>
>> Thanks a ton,
>> ~Brian
>>
>>
>> --
>> ----------------
>> Brian A. Henning
>> strutmasters.com
>> 336.597.2397x238
>> ----------------
>> --
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>> --
>> This message has been scanned for viruses and
>> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
>> believed to be clean.
>>
> 
> 
> 

-- 
----------------
Brian A. Henning
strutmasters.com
336.597.2397x238
----------------