totally confused with sendmail problems

[Mark Vollmers]

Hi, all. Sorry to keep beating a dead horse, but I too have sendmail problems. I want to set up the UNIX server to mail outside to the NT server. I have looked at the other posts for sendmail and tried to copy them, but I think I have gotten more confused. I might just be really stupid about this, but I'd appreciate the help.
the UNIX server name is munix.
I have added the NT server to the hosts file (IP ntserver.company.com). The /etc/nsswitch.conf file reads "hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue] files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=return] files"
The sendmail.cf has DJ$w.company.com and DSntserver.company.com
I have stoped and started /sbin/init.d/sendmail
When type in "mailx name@company.com", there are no errors to the prompt. Going to the mail log, I see that it says:
"My unqualified host name (munix) unknown; about to retry
Unable to qualify my own domain name (munix) - using short name
be sure to set DJ macro
((in the error for the message)) name server: server.company.com: host name lookup error."

If I type in nslookup, I put in the NT name, I get "Default NIS Server: munix". if I try to define a MX for it, and I type in "set type=mx", it says "invalid option".

From the other posts, I assumed that I just needed to add the DS line. When I saw the DJ error, I added the domain for the mail server. I'm probably missing something easy, but I can't figure out what it is. Does anyone know? I don't mean to rehash old threads, but I'm lost. Thanks for the help in advance.

[Pedro Sousa]

Hi Mark!
- first change your hosts entry to: "IP ntserver ntserver.company.com"
- change your nsswitch.conf to: files [NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue] dns"
- you don't need to run sendmail daemon since you are only working as an email client, so, unset your sendmail variable on /etc/rc.config.d/mailsrvs"

Can you "nslookup ntserver"? Can you ping it?

if so, use "mailq" to check your queue of emails, and "sendmail -q v" to try resend.
Check your /var/adm/syslog/mail.log file.
good luck.

[Mark Vollmers]

Pedro-

I switched the host and alias names around for the server and pushed the changes through (make hosts in /var/yp). In the /etc/rc.config.d/mailservs, I removed the "1" from the server variable, and, from what the file says, set the sendmail server name. If I do the nslookup ntserver, the name and IP address come up. I can ping the server fine. I typed in the sendmail command (which, by the way, did not like the time unit) and looked in the mail log. The mail did not go through, but the relay in the error message was changed to reflect the mail server. It still says that there is a host name lookup error. Any other ideas? Thanks.

Mark

[Pedro Sousa]

Mark,
What's your sendmail version? If lower than 8.9.3, then install:
HPUX 11 - PHNE_18546
HPUX 10.20 - PHNE_22672

other clues:
Use mailx -d for debugging output.
I cannot remember clearly, but I saw somewhere that sendmail has some problem with dns entry in nsswitch.conf. I use it, but you can try to take it out and only use "hosts: files".
good luck once more.

[David Rodman]

First, the error you have seems to be an inability to resolve the local domain. What does your /etc/resolv.conf
file contain?
Second, because you have DNS in your nsswitch.conf your host file is NOT USED by sendmail ( see posting under my name in the general hpux)

You have the ds macro for the smart host - see what
sendmail has for $j and $w
sendmail -d0.1 -bp # will give you what is defined in
sendmail.cf

Your DNS may also need to be configured -
Does the dns have an mx record for ntserver.mycompany.com?
Your resolv.conf may not point to the right dns server and ALMOST certainly does not have the "domain mycompany.com" in it.

You didn't mention if you could sendmail from the ntserver to munix? Do you want to? - Different kettle of
fish.. I mean configs.