Problem with Sendmail

[Andrew Kaplan]

Hi there --

I am having problems sending email using the bundled sendmail server that came with our 11.11 system. The mail.log file has the following entries:

Sep 5 13:35:24 cosmos2 sendmail[4791]: NAA04789: to=ahkaplan@partners.org, ctladdr=root (0/3), delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=esmtp, relay=p
artners.org, stat=Host unknown (Name server: partners.org: host not found)
Sep 5 13:35:24 cosmos2 sendmail[4791]: NAA04789: NAA04791: DSN: Host unknown (Name server: partners.org: host not found)

What file(s) and/or actions do I need to take to correct this? Thanks.

[Doug O'Leary]

Hey;

Sendmail is unable to resolve the mail host for partners.org. You need to ensure the system is able to resolve that by updating /etc/resolv.conf, then run "nslookup partners.org"

HTH;

Doug

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

This is most likely do to a failure to resolve the host partners.org

Try this:

nslookup partners.org

I bet you don't get an answer.

It could be their DNS server is not providing the answer. It could be your /etc/resolv.conf configuration is pointing to a DNS server that is malfunctioning or not providing the answer.

If it is there problem, it will probably go away when their syadmin's notice the problem.

SEP

[Andrew Kaplan]

Hi there --

I thought of something: The nsswitch.conf file has the following syntax:

hosts: nis [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue] files [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return]

There is no entry for DNS. I checked the nsswitch.conf file on another hpux server that does not have this problem. Here is the syntax of the same file on the 'working' server:

hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue] nis [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return] dns [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return]
netgroup: files [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue] nis

Can I simply add the missing reference to DNS to the first server's nsswitch file, or are there additional steps that I need to take? Thanks.

[Steven E. Protter]

Shalom,

At a minimum you need dns on the list for hostname resolution.

good observation.

SEP

[Andrew Kaplan]

Hi there --

I added the dns entry to the nsswich.conf file so it now reads as follows:

hosts: nis [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue] files [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return] dns [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return]

How can I make the changes go into effect? Thanks.

[Doug O'Leary]

>>How can I make the changes go into effect? Thanks.

:wq!

As soon as you save and exit /etc/nsswitch.conf, it's active.

Doug