sendmail errors

[Lee Abell]

After upgrading sendmail form 8.8.6 to 8.11.1 and applying the fix that HP released I am receiving the following error message:

Cannot open hash database /etc/mail/aliases.db: Invalid argument
paula... User unknown
/root/dead.letter... Saved message in /root/dead.letter

There is an alias for paula in the alias file. HELP!! I have called this into the response center and have not gotten an answer yet - hoping someone else has run into this problem.

[Michael Steele_2]

killsm
newalias
/sbin/init.d/sendmail start

[Steven E. Protter]

You need to check the permissions on that file.

I think they need to be 640. There are recent security bulletins warning about having the permissions too lose on the /etc/mail files.

The aliases.db file is generated from the aliases file. The data there needs to be valid as well.

If it worked before and its broke now, check permissions.

Just as a check,

make sure nslookup returns good answers and sendmail.cf is there and hasn't been modified.

Lastly you might want to go through the gen_conf process and generate a new, compatible sendmail.cf file.

If you are forced to change anything, you'll probably need to restart the sendmail daemon

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

SEP

[Lee Abell]

I have stopped and started sendmail - lots of times - still get same error.

I changed the permissions on everythign in the /etc/mail deirectory to 640 - stopped and started sendmail - same error message.

nslookup works fine - but should I be checking for something in particular??

sendmail .cf is there and looks okay to me - it has not been changed.

Do you have more info on the gen_conf process - I have never done that. Thanks!

[Steven E. Protter]

I think we also need to see the contents of your aliases file.

Do you know how to generate a hash database?

I'm attaching a linux script, that will require modification for HP-US.

Location and use of gen_conf

I blew the name.

Its called gen_cf

/usr/newconfig/etc/mail/cf/cf/gen_cf

You run it and take defaults and its supposed to generate a secure sendmail.cf file. I've not had to use it, but backup the old mail configuration before you use it.

SEP

[Michael Steele_2]

sendmail -bs

Note the version of the compiled program and the sendmail.cf file, they need to be the same.

[Lee Abell]

Here is the output from the sendmail -bs command.

sendmail -bs
220 ewbs1.cinbell.com ESMTP Sendmail 8.11.1/8.7.1; Tue, 25 Mar 2003 14:09:49 -0500 (EST)

[Seth Parker]

Paula,

Sorry if this is too simplistic, but there should be an aliases file and an aliases.db file. The aliases.db file is a processed version of the plain-text aliases file. Try making sure that the aliases file is the plain-text one and delete aliases.db and run the "newaliases" command. Hopefully, that'll recreate the aliases.db file correctly.

Also, you might check your sendmail.cf file and see that "O AliasFille=" is set to your plain-text alias file.

Good luck!

[Michael Steele_2]

At 8.7.1 you're sendmail.cf file is not in sync with your compiled program. Rename your old sendmail.cf file and copy in the default from /usr/newconfig/etc/mail/sendmail.cf.

Note the DS value in your old sendmail.cf file and add this into your new file. It should match your mail relay???s hostname or ip address.

Restart after stopping and changing.