Sendmail not sending out...timeout connection error

[happyb]

Hi,

I am a complete newbie to sendmail, and I have been given the job to work out why it is not sending emails. I have looked through out the forms and no posts seem to fix my problem...please help

I created a basic form that uses a cgi script that sends a feedback form to me.

I run the scipt with out errors.

I then look in my mailq.... it has the email listed that I just ran with the form.

When I look again a little while later...realising that I am not going to recieve it!.. I look at the queue again, next to the my email that I saw queued earlier it has a status message...
(Deferred: Connection timed out with mail.server.com)

At first I thought that it was a problem with my mail server, becuase I was sending it to myself first, but I tried completly different email addresses...yahoo.com, sbcglobal.net etc... and I got the same error message.

Now the mail server and the sendmail/linux server are in 2 diff locations, each with thier own firewall. The smtp 25 is open on the mail server.

I am using IPCHAINS on the linux machine, and I allowed Port 25 for input and output.

I am not sure what else to do or what conf files to change. I was looking at the sendmail.mc file, but I did not find any answers.

I know that there are some smart people out there, alot smarter then me right now LOL please help

happy

 

[RhythmAce]

You kinda confused me when you said your mail server and sendmail/linux are in 2 different locations. Can ya tell me more about your setup? And why you have 2 mail servers? I understand about the form script, I just need to understand how you have you mail servers configured.

 

[happyb]

Hi Rythm,
Sorry to confuse you.

Here's the deal...

I have one mail server, and I have a linux web server (apache) that has sendmail on it. ( Not 2 mail servers) I am using sendmail mainly for submission forms for websites on the linux box. Feedback forms, info forms etc.

I am finding linux alot easier to use. So I want to learn more. I thought that I had it all right. I worked out today that I am able to send mail within the local box. Eg, from and to root.

I was also able to set the smart host in the sendmail.cf file as my mail server. Eg...mail.server.com

I have also allowed my mail server to accept relaying from the linux box. Also my mail server can act as a smart host and resolve domain names.

But I still get a time out error.

The mail server (windows - post.office) has the firewall open to accept mail connections through 25.

There are so many different options in the sendmail.cf file, I do not know which one to look at, and I can't find any docs on the sendmail.cf file. Maybe I am just not looking hard enough eh?


I hope this helps you understand,

Thanks for your help


happy

 

[RhythmAce]

ah, I see where you're coming from. You don't think sendmail is a mail server. ) Some of the largest ISPs in the world may have a bone to pick with you. If you are trying to edit sendmail.cf, that could drive you a little crazy. Take a look at sendmail.mc and you will see that it is a lot easier to understand (and read). Once you edit it, you run m4 which creates a new sendmail.cf. Sometimes eror messages don't give enough information to help troubleshoot a problem. Check your mail logs and see if it gives a little more info. There are many reasons for sendmail timing out. A lot of the time it boils down to a dns problem. Is mail.yourdomain.com setup in your dns "A" record with the correct ip? Is it assigned in the "MX" record to handle mail for yourdomain.com? If these are ok then there may be something wrong with your sendmail configuration. Sendmail has a few files that need to be created. And I'd almost have to write a book on what each file does. If you are new to sendmail, You might want to check out a program called WebMin. You can download it from

http://www.webmin.com

. It is a GUI that automates the setup and administration of all your servers, mail, web, ftp, telnet, mysql just to name a few. It makes it a lot easier when all the pages are in one place and you don't need to go looking for them or have to remember if you need to use "make map", "m4", "hash" and who knows what else to get the thing running. Sorry I wasn't more help. Good luck.

 

[Butterfly123]

Happy,

U need to tweak the time out option in the /etc/mail/sendmail.cf file on your linux box. Increase this option to a longer extent and then give a try..

All the best,

Hemant