Sending Mail using HP-UX

[ravi.aryan]

Hi people,

I know this subject has been taken up quite a lot of times, but after many efforts I am still unable to succeed, so finally I have decided to start a thread for it..

My Requirement is to use my HP-UX Server to send mail both locally and to the Internet as well.
For this I need to pass through my mail server which is Lotus Notes Server...

I have edited the Hosts file and added this address and the corresponding name as well

After which I edited the sendmail.cf so as to include this server name in the DS Parameter

However when sending a mail using sendmail -v , example: sendmail -v geepun.foolchand@dcdm.intnet.mu, I am not getting any mail...

If ever I use sendmail -v geepun.foolchand, I get a message unknown user.

When checking the mail queue through mailq, all the mails that I sent as a test purpose, have the status 'DEFERRED'

I am completely new to this. In fact with the administrator not here, I am having to take charge of this... And this is quite urgent as it is needed in a demo on monday..

I would appreciate if you guys could help me..
Thanks in advance for your quick and detailed explanations...

Regards
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello,

in /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
you can set the DS variable to use your lotus notes server (if it accepts relaying):

DSmailserver.domainame

it's indicated in the sendmail.cf file:
# Relay all non-local mail to the "Smart" relay host (DS) via smtp: #
# #
# This macro is optional. If you wish to send all non-local mail #
# to a smart relay via SMTP just set macro S (DS) to the name of the #
# smart relay. If this macro is not set, then all mail addresses to #
# a non-local user will be send to the relay. #

for test you can use the following command:
#> sendmail -bv test@hp.com
test@hp.com... deliverable: mailer esmtp, host [mailserver.domainame], user test@hp.com

It indicates you the localhost or the mailhost that will be used.

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

Thanks for the Prompt answer. However, I am getting confused about what I should edit..

I am attaching the sendmail.cf file.. Could you have a quick look at it and guide me please? I am very sorry for the inconvenience... But its really important that i get this working...

Also in my hosts file I defined the mail server as follows:

172.16.100.222 mail

Should I suffix mail with the domain name?
Therefore should it become: 172.16.100.222 mail.dcdm.mu?

Thanks
Ravi

[mobidyc]

hello,

at the lin 717, replace the DS variable:

vi +717 /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
DSmail
:x!

PS: there is no blank between the DS variable and the mail server

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

test address:
sendmail -bv test@domain.com
sendmail -bv root

the first test must indicates the mailhost [mail]
the second must indicates [local]

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

I tried what you told me..

--------------------------------
# sendmail -bv geepun.foolchand@dcdm.intnet.mu
geepun.foolchand@dcdm.intnet.mu... deliverable: mailer relay, host mail.luser-re
lay, user geepun.foolchand@dcdm.intnet.mu
-----------------------------------

However, I still did not receive any messages..
And from what I see above Host is being mail.luser-relay... Is that correct, or the domain is not good?

Also there is another thing I do not know if it has an implication:

Sendmail listens on port 23
and the lotus notes server listens on port 25

I hope this can help to find a solution

Thanks
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello,

what is mail.luser-relay ?
what gives : nslookup mail.luser-relay ?
is it your lotus notes mail server ?

in all manner , acording the result of your command, your mail is send to the mail server mail.luser-relay.

you can see if this server have refused your mail by examining /var/adm/syslog/mail.log.

maybe you could set your /etc/hosts and /etc/mail/sendmail.cf files with the long dns name of your lotus server.

another thing, you're using a sendmail 8.9.3 config file, verify your sendmail version (what /usr/sbin/sendmail |grep version), if the sendmail version is higher than your config file, do:
cp /etc/mail/sendmail.cf /etc/mail/sendmail.cf.OLD
and
cp /usr/newconfig/etc/mail/sendmail.cf /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
don't forget to set your new config file (DS var)

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard.

[Yogeeraj_1]

hi Ravi,

First of all, verify that you can ping the mail server from the HP-UX host:
ping mail.dcdm.mu

If ok, define the DS variable, e.g.
DSmail.dcdm.mu

then try a simple test to see if it working:
e.g.
echo "hello world" | /bin/mailx -s "test mail" ravi.aryan@dcdm.intnet.mu

good luck!

kind regards
yogeeraj

[ravi.aryan]

Hi People,

Sorry but this is really urgent.. Please try to assist me with the problem..

Thanks a lot
Ravi

[Yogeeraj_1]

hi again,

did you run the mentioned tests?

kind regards
yogeeraj

[mobidyc]

Hello,

please answer to the asked questions for help you.

if you're sure your lotus notes server accepts relaying you can do a simple things, run:
/usr/newconfig/etc/mail/cf/cf/gen_cf

this script will configure your sendmail file with few questions.

hope this help you.

regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Guys,

I am working on it... Excepting the last test that you have asked I have done the above... It is still the same... The mail goes but I do not receive it..

I will provide feedback about the last test shortly..

Thanks ppl
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello ravi,

do you have error in /var/adm/syslog/mail.log?

please post the last lines of this file so you could help you better.

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

Please find attached the log file.. I got to zip it since it exceeded 1MB

best regards
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello,

the error is :
Apr 6 17:30:12 oraserv sendmail[2124]: RAA02124: to=xxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx, delay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, relay=mail.dcdm.mu, stat=Transient parse error -- message queued for future delivery

Transient parse error is typically a DNS error.

you didn't answer to my previous questiosn, WHAT IS mail.luser-relay ?
WHAT GIVES : nslookup mail.luser-relay ?
IS IT your lotus notes mail server ?

please verify your:
/etc/hosts <= set a long name for mail, not just the alias
/etc/nsswitch.conf

nslookup mail.luser-relay
nslookup IP_ADDRESS_OF_mail.luser-relay

what are the files in /etc/mail?

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard.

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

mail.luser_relay was a mistake on my part.
In fact I had wrongly specified the mail server name...

The host file contains:

172.16.100.222 main main.dcdm.mu

nsswitch.conf : I do not know what I should modify in it.. Please guide me..

Contents of etc/mail is:
# cd /etc/mail
You have mail in /var/mail/root
# pwd
/etc/mail
# ls
aliases mailcap sendmail.cw service.switch
aliases.db sendmail.cf sendmail.pid
#

Thanks
Ravi

[Yogeeraj_1]

hi again,

check your /etc/nsswitch.conf
and
/etc/mail/service.switch files.

Set the two values to:

hosts files dns
aliases files

May be a name resolution problem.

Verify whether there are the MX records (or not) in your DNS server. When sendmail gives up on a hostname, see how it will figure out where to send the mail for a given destination:

nslookup -type=mx mail.dcdm.mu

revert

kind regards
yogeeraj

[mobidyc]

Hello,

please correct your /etc/hosts file, replace:
172.16.100.222 main main.dcdm.mu
by
172.16.100.222 mail mail.dcdm.mu

and restart your sendmail.
if the problem is not solved, post /etc/mail/service.switch and /etc/nsswitch.conf for config checking.

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard.

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Guys,

I did the nslookup for the mail.dcdm.mu, it resolved it using the etc/hosts file.

However there is no services.switch and nsswitch.conf in the etc folder

Thanks
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello Ravi,

does your problem is solved ?

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

The mail goes but I do not receive anything...

Thanks
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hello,

and now, what appears in your mail.log ?

do you still have transient parse error ?
(it's a name server time out error)

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

Unfortunately I am still stuck.. The log file shows that the transient error is still there..

I have not obtained any nsswitch.conf file

However I am attaching sendmail.cf and service.switch for your perusal.

Thanks a lot
Ravi

[mobidyc]

Hi Ravi,

in /etc/mail/sendmail.cf replace:
hosts dns files
by
hosts files dns

and restart sendmail.
this will fix the order of a domain name resolution in sendmail.

for nsswitch.conf do :
ls /etc/nsswitch*

this will list example files for nsswitch.conf, select them you want to use and copy it in /etc/nsswitch.conf.
(i'm at home with no hpux access for obtain file name example).

your nsswitch.conf will be something like that:
passwd: files
group: files
hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] dns
networks: files
protocols: files
aliases: files
services: files

hope your problem will be solved after that ;)

Regards,
Cedrick Gaillard

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

Its today that I am back in the office.. I am going to try and give you a feedback promptly..

Thank you
Ravi

[ravi.aryan]

Hi Cedrick,

Just tried what you suggested.. I still get the transient error..

I'll clarify something: the domain on which I log on is called main using windows, and the mail server is on a domain dcdm.mu....

The HP-UX has an oracle applications installed on it and is not a domain controller either.. I need to send mail locally on Unix so that I can extend the logic to Oracle Workflow at a later stage...

Also there is no nsswitch.conf file, I verified..

Regards
Ravi