my .forward can't work

[lyndon_1]

my users .forward can not work. only root can.
I have most of the message about .forward in thsi forums, I did not find the answer.
any idea who has???

The following is my system configuration.

sendmail process is running.

mailx -s "just test" lycc@hotmail.com

I can recieve the mail.

system:/home # grep lyndon /etc/passwd
lyndon:n2nYuDrDHrLnQ:108:20:,,,:/home/lyndon:/usr/bin/sh
system:/home #

system:/home #cat /etc/shells
/sbin/sh
/usr/bin/sh

system:/home #ll
drwxr-xr-x 2 lyndon users 96 Aug 14 05:31 lyndon

nsswitch.conf and resolv.conf correct,and sendmail can send out the message.

system:/home/lyndon #ll
-rw------- 1 lyndon users 25 Aug 14 05:31 .forward

cat .forward
lycc@hotmail.com

but it can not work. sendmail can't send the message to lycc@hotmail.com.

So, I get a idea. I create a alias in /etc/mail/aliases,like this

lyndon : lycc@hotmail.com

Yes, It worked.

So everything is ok,but only users .forward can't work.
any idea please!!!!!!!

[Ceesjan van Hattum · Accepted solution]

Your .forward is from lyndon:users (-rw------)
If you do:
ls -la `which sendmail`
it is proberbly form root:mail.

Is sendmail prohibited to read your .forward?
What about chmod a+r .forward ??

Or add yourself into the group mail and
chown lyndon:mail .forward
chmod 640 .forward

Regards,
Ceesjan

[Andreas Voss]

Hi,

think .forward has to have execution bit set.
Try chmod 700 .forward

Regards

[Tom Maloy]

Check your sendmail configuration file (/etc/mail/sendmail.cf), searching for "Forward" and the permissions of your users .forward files AND the directories that they are in.

Group writable files and directories containing .forward files are a secrity hole.

Looks like your .forward file has the correct permissions, but check the directory.

Tom

[Joseph C. Denman]

Lyndon,

The .forward file does not need to be executable.

My question would be, can YOU send mail?

Try this:

As root, "su - lyndon"
mailx -s "just test" lycc@hotmail.com

Does this work?

...jcd...

[Paula J Frazer-Campbell]

HI

.forward = 644


Paula

[lyndon_1]

system:/home/lyndon #su - lyndon
For copyright information, see /etc/copyright
$ll -a .forward
-rw------- 1 lyndon users 25 Aug 14 05:31 .forward
$ chmod 644 .forward
$ ll -a .forward
-rw-r--r-- 1 lyndon users 25 Aug 14 05:31 .forward

$ mail lyndon
dd
.
EOT
$

user lyndon still received this mail, this meaning .forward still not work.

so i chmod 777 ,still not work.

[lyndon_1]

Joseph,

system:/home/lyndon #su - lyndon

$ mailx -s "Just a test" lycc@hotmail.com
tt
.
EOT

Yes, It worked, I can receive the mail from lycc@hotmail.com

[lyndon_1]

Ceesjan,

My sendmail belong to root group, so I change the lyndon's .forward file to root group
like this:

-rw-r--r-- 1 lyndon root 25 Aug 14 05:31 .forward

It still can not work.

[lyndon_1]

Tom,

I have check /etc/mail/sendmail.cf, .forward file is in the users $HOME.
Then you said chech the directory, which directory?

[Manish Bharadwaj]

Hi
If you are using a fairly new version of sendmail and if you have assigned write permission to others on the directory .forward file is than .forward will not work.

Say for example your home directory is xyz and you have assigned write permission for others on xyz than .forward will not be read.

Check and make sure users home directory donot have write turned on for others.

[Ceesjan van Hattum]

Hi,
Does /var/adm/syslog/mail.log give you any information?

Is your sendmail.cf correctly configured?
O ForwardPath=$z/.forward.$w:$z/.forward

Regards,
Ceesjan

[Christophe MAILHE]

Hi,

I have had the same issue a while ago but it is now working.

Here is my config :
The file is in chmod 600
Owner is the user
Group is sys

Within the file I have 2 lines (1 for the address to forward to and then a blank line).

Hope that could help.

Chris.

[lyndon_1]

Hi, Ceesjan.

I check my sendmail.cf file,it like you said, there is the line:
O ForwardPath=$z/.forward.$w:$z/.forward

and my mail.log file alse empty.