[Info-vax] "SEND MAIL" doesn't send mail, mail stays in queue

[Marco Beishuizen]

On Mon, 22 Jan 2018, the wise Stephen Hoffman via Info-vax wrote:

> The existing mail server logs will usually give some details on why the 
> connections are being rejected.  Start there.  Probably an 
> authentication error, as a guess.  While it's usually easiest to use the 
> gateway settings to route all outbound mail to a "newer" mail server, 
> there's no authentication support available with that, short of add-on 
> (replacement) software, or (easier) setting up a local relay via Postfix 
> or some other mail server and from there along to the ISP.

The smtp configuration shows:

[...]
TCPIP> show config smtp

SMTP Configuration
                                                                    Options
Initial interval:   0 00:30:00.00       Address_max:    16 
NOEIGHT_BIT
Retry interval:     0 01:00:00.00       Hop_count_max:  16       NORELAY
Maximum interval:   3 00:00:00.00 
TOP_HEADERS

Timeout             Initial       Mail    Receipt       Data  Terminate
   Send:                   5          5          5          3         10
   Receive:                5

Alternate gateway:  194.109.6.51
General gateway:    194.109.6.51

Substitute domain:  not defined
Zone:               not defined

Postmaster:         TCPIP$SMTP
Log file:           SYS$SPECIFIC:[TCPIP$SMTP]TCPIP$SMTP_LOGFILE.LOG

Generic queue       Queues   Participating nodes

TCPIP$SMTP_OVMS1_00    1     OVMS1
[...]

The smtp logfile is saying that there are no queue entries found, even 
though there are 3 mail still sitting there:

[...]
$ type tcpip$smtp_ovms1.log;6


%%%%%%%%%%%%  SMTP ANALYZE     22-JAN-2018 15:49:49.49  %%%%%%%%%%%%
%TCPIP-I-ANA_RUNING, ANALYZE runs on host OVMS1

%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122015
73677_SYSTEM-30D.TCPIP_OVMS1;1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122020
62598_SYSTEM-30D.TCPIP_OVMS1;1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122020
93150_SYSTEM-30D.TCPIP_OVMS1;1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122023
32205_SYSTEM-22F.TCPIP_OVMS1;1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122031
12463_SYSTEM-22F.TCPIP_OVMS1;1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NOENTR, no queue entry found for file 
SYS$SYSROOT:[SYSMGR]180122153
41104_SYSTEM-22F.TCPIP_OVMS1;1


%%%%%%%%%%%%  SMTP ANALYZE     22-JAN-2018 15:49:49.65  %%%%%%%%%%%%
%TCPIP-I-ANA_COMPLE, ANALYZE completed on host OVMS1
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FEPAIR, found 0 file-queue entry pairs
%TCPIP-I-ANA_DELQEN, deleted 0 queue entries
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FILNOQ, found 6 files with no queue entries
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FILHLD, holding 0 files in directory
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FILDEL, deleted 0 files from the Postmaster directory
%TCPIP-I-ANA_SUBFIL, submitted 0 files to the generic queue
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FILACE, encountered 0 file access errors
%TCPIP-I-ANA_NONCFF, found 0 files in Postmaster directory
%TCPIP-I-ANA_FILCOR, found 0 corrupted control files in Postmaster 
directory

> Though I suspect it's not the case here, if you're trying to send SMTP 
> mail directly, please post your domain and somebody can check DNS 
> forward and reverse and MX settings for you.  That information is 
> already known to anybody watching DNS, and the spammers and the rest of 
> the gremlins routinely scan for and already already have those and other 
> details and are already poking at any open TCP port 25 they find on the 
> 'net.  Usually within minutes, lately.  If you're shy about posting that 
> domain data, verify that forward and reverse DNS are valid.

The PWS is behind a modem/router with a firewall. First thing I would like 
to do is to be able to send mail, with the mail server of my ISP as the 
smart host. Receiving mail I'll try to config later using IMAP, so the 
OpenVMS machine won't receive mail by itself.

> Be aware that the default behavior for TCP/IP Services SMTP with either 
> problems in the configuration file or no configuration file is as an 
> open relay and with no errors displayed.

The smtp config shows a "NORELAY" so that's ok right?

> Or start reading the backlog of discussions, starting with the 
> following: 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.vms/EKI3G_O9fEk/bJIPUvmoz_QJ 
> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.os.vms/wbdmJuNJb0M/waXG7aXm8BcJ

I'll do that, thanks.

> There are issues with the installation, as well.  TCP/IP Services lacks 
> encryption support for client access, lacks STARTTLS and other details, 
> and contending with spam invariably involves add-on pieces; there's 
> little that's integrated.

True, the OpenVMS software isn't the latest and greatest. But the Alpha is 
used to play with and learn OpenVMS with, and maybe as backup. The system 
is behind a router so the security isn't that bas I guess.

Thanks & regards,
Marco
-- 
I've seen Sun monitors on fire off the side of the multimedia lab.
I've seen NTU lights glitter in the dark near the Mail Gate.
All these things will be lost in time, like the root partition last week.
Time to die...
 		-- Peter Gutmann