Mailx setup

[J.A.R. Karremans]

I need to setup mailx to work on a hpux 11.0 platform. I can "send" a message, I get no error-message, but nothing arrives anywhere. Something with configuring smtp-server (statd)? I cannot really find any explenation on what to do next...

[Justo Exposito]

Hi J.A.R,

Try starting with mailq command in order to see the messages queue.

Regards,

Justo.

[Stefan Farrelly]

To get any mail working you will need sendmail running. Can you see its process running ?
If not you can start by doing; /sbin/init.d/sendmail start

Once its running tail -f /var/adm/syslog/mail.log when you do your mailx so you can see in the log where your mail is going or what the error is.

[J.A.R. Karremans]

Okay, thanx...

Sendmail is running.
In /var/adm/syslog/mail.log I get messages "Unable to qualify my own domain name" and "be sure to set domain name in Dj macro in sendmail.cf". There are messages pending in the mail-queue resulting in occasional dead.letter's. There needs to be a lot configured still, but I cannot find the neccesary documentation...

[T G Manikandan]

In your /etc/mail/sendmail.cf

file

Make sure that you have these entries.

1.
DSeg.
DSpsldns
(psldns is my smtp server name)

2.add the domain name to Dj$w

Dj$w.hp.com

Make sure that you could do a nslookup of your smtp server



#nslookup

If this is not working check whether the smtp server name is there on the DNS server for to resolve.
or check whether it is there in your hosts file.


Restart sendmail.
/sbin/init.d/sendmail stop & start.


Post your results

Thanks

[J.A.R. Karremans]

These could be curcial steps towards victory! Only sendmail stop & start just answer: "Start... User Unknown" and get into indefinite wait! Perhaps trying to communicate with something??

[T G Manikandan]

Are you using a DNS for resolving hostnames
or the local host file.

For example if you are using hosts file

Just do a entry like
smtp-server-name>. servername

eg.
Mine is
172.16.1.83 psldns.polaris.co.in psldns

If you are using a DNs server for resolving hostnames.

Make sure that the smtp server is getting resolved using that DNS server.

how does your /etc/nsswitch.conf file look like.

what is the output of
#nslookup

Post the output

[J.A.R. Karremans]

nslookup works just fine... This doesn't seem to be the problem!

I user files (hosts) and have defined my smtp-server (NTServer01.vir) just as you described!

[T G Manikandan]

When you are receiving messages as user unknown
it is that the system is unable to find the mailbox of the user you are sending messages.

Is the smtp server a windows machine?
what is the domain name of your smtp machine?
What is the mailbox name to which you are sending messages?


Because windows uses netbios to resolve hostname.

Post your answers

Thanks

[J.A.R. Karremans]

Yes, the smtp-server is a Windows NT 4.0 machine.
The domain-name we are using is .VIR.NL.
And the name I am trying to send a mail to is j.karremans@vir.nl (known on this machine).

There could be some problem with domain-names. It could vary between .VIR and .VIR.NL.

We are running Post.Office from Software.com on the NT-machine and on a Unix 10.20 machine.
I thought e-mail was purely TCP/IP. Where does netbios come in?

[Justo Exposito]

Hi,

Do you have the file with the contenents:
HP2 #> vi sendmail.mc
"sendmail.mc" 9 lines, 183 characters
LOCAL_CONFIG
define(`SMART_HOST', `correo')dnl
FEATURE(accept_unresolvable_domains)
FEATURE(redirect)dnl
FEATURE(use_cw_file)dnl
FEATURE(nodns)dnl
MAILER_DEFINITIONS
MAILER(smtp)dnl

You must define it and stop and start the sendmail daemon.

Regards,

Justo.

[T G Manikandan]

From your reply I assume you have these entries for the following

1.In your /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file


DS(smart-relayhost)
DSNTserver01.VIR.NL

for the domain name
Dj$w.VIR.NL


2.In your /etc/hosts file

xx.xx.xx.xx NTServer01.VIR.NL NTserver01



3.check your /etc/nsswitch.conf file

so that the lookup is like this

hosts : files



NOw try sending mail as

cat /etc/hosts|mailx -s "test" @vir.nl


Post your results


Thanks

[Justo Exposito]

Sorry,

In this line:
define(`SMART_HOST', `correo')dnl

you must put:
define(`SMART_HOST', `yourNTservername')dnl

Regards,

Justo.

[T G Manikandan]

stop and start sendmail if you alter the /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file.

Thanks

[J.A.R. Karremans]

I have done all adjustments, but the unknown user message still comes with sendmail start!?!

According to my limited mail-configuration knowledge, I have entered everything everywhere correctly...

.........

[T G Manikandan]

What are the messages in the

/var/adm/syslog/mail.log file

[J.A.R. Karremans]

Aug 6 11:55:07 vir_hp5 sendmail[11887]: unable to qualify my own domain name (v
ir_hp5) -- using short name --> I don't understand?

Aug 6 11:55:07 vir_hp5 sendmail[11887]: be sure to set domain name in Dj macro
in sendmail.cf --> Has happened. There is just one line with Dj.. in the entrire file and is completed as suggested!

Aug 6 11:55:07 vir_hp5 sendmail[11887]: LAA11887: to=start, delay=00:00:00, mai
ler=local, stat=User unknown --> User = root??

[T G Manikandan]

If this is not working then let us try the other way.

Please configure this unix machine to your windows dns server as

#set_parms addl_netwrk

it will ask for the domainname and the ip-address of the dns server.

configure it.

modify your /etc/nsswitch.conf file as

hosts: dns files


Now do a nslookup for the smtp server whether it is getting resolved.

nslookup
should give as

lookup on dns server..something like that

Now try sending mail
Please your results


Thanks

[J.A.R. Karremans]

I am sorry! This is a production system and I'd rather not change too many networking parameters without testing properly...

I got also some help from HP and am currently on the phone! Will keep you informed...

The startup problem was a matter of starting the right sendmail executable (the one in sbin/init.d)...

Thanx again so far!

[T G Manikandan]

I also checked through the files

/etc/mail/sendmail.cw which needs a list of all the names by which this host will be known.

YOu can make entry in the file like


.VIR.VL
Then re-start sendmail to check those messages dont appear again.

Thanks

[John Dvorchak]

The machine has to be able to indentify it's own FQDN. I ususlay make sure the that the first data line in /etc/hosts has the fully qualified name of the system that you are on i.e your local server is pete then /etc/hosts would have:

123.123.123.02 pete.yourdomain.com pete

as the first line after the comments if you have them. Stop and start sendmail:

/sbin/init.d/sendmail stop
/sbin/init.d/sendmail start

Then refer to all errors or transactions in
/var/adm/syslog/mail.log
for the real story on what is going on with sendmail.

Good luck