[ale] odd email issue

Wed Jun 15 14:42:23 EDT 2011

Lightner, Jeff wrote:
> In my earlier email I suggested checking environment differences and
> specifically mentioned PATH.  In subsequent emails I've mentioned the
> environment each time and so far I don't see that the suggested
> comparison of environments for the root and normal user or cron and CLI
> has been done.

I've compared the environments.  I've used fully qualified paths in my 
latest examples, although I resolved that early on.

I don't see how it is remotely possible for an email from one user to 
use a different server then another.  I do recall there used to be an 
env variable defining the smtp server, but there is no reference to any 
email server in the environment of either user.

I think my latest posting is pretty clear.  CLI from user works, 'su -' 
to root does not.  Fully qualified paths for both date and mail used.

>   
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of JD
> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 1:46 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [ale] odd email issue
> 
> I don't know how much help I can be, but ...
> 
> 'date|mail user at domain'
> 
> is trusting the $PATH. This is never a good idea in scripts.
> 
> /bin/date |/usr/bin/mail user\@domain
> 
> would be better and limit the environment a little more.
> Also, in bash, you may need to escape the '@' with a \@.
> On servers, /bin/sh for root may point to /bin/dash, not bash, leading
> to other, unexpected behaviors.
> 
> Probably nothing you don't already know and understand. If I were
> troubleshooting this, I'd put everything into a script file, turn up
> messages and look for the differences between each uid.  Cron definitely
> doesn't bring the expected environment with it. It never has.
> 
> 
> On 06/15/2011 12:24 PM, Geoffrey Myers wrote:
>> Lightner, Jeff wrote:
>>> Since you have the issue running it as root from CLI then it makes
> sense
>>> it has same issue from root cron.   Try running it in your user cron
>>> instead.  (i.e. as your normal user run "crontab -e" and add the job
>>> there.)
>>>
>>> If that works then it may still have to do with environment
> differences
>>> between root and your normal user.   If you're becoming root by doing
>>> "su -" try doing "su" without the dash instead - that way your root
>>> session inherits the original user's environment instead of invoking
>>> root's environment.  If the command then works from CLI as root then
> you
>>> know it is an environmental difference.
>> How is it possible that root could be using a different outgoing mail 
>> server?  Sendmail is configured for localhost only.  This is the part 
>> that is confusing to me.
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of
>>> Geoffrey Myers
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 9:51 AM
>>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
>>> Subject: Re: [ale] odd email issue
>>>
>>> Lightner, Jeff wrote:
>>>> Is the cron job you're running the user's cron or root's cron?
>>> root cron.
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of
>>>> Geoffrey Myers
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 9:20 AM
>>>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
>>>> Subject: Re: [ale] odd email issue
>>>>
>>>> Geoffrey Myers wrote:
>>>>> David Tomaschik wrote:
>>>>>> On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 8:52 AM, Geoffrey Myers
>>>>>> <lists at serioustechnology.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Robert Coggins wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 6/15/2011 8:11 AM, Geoffrey Myers wrote:
>>>>>>>>> So, I've got sendmail configured so it uses localhost for
> sending
>>>> email.
>>>>>>>>>    As a normal user I can send email like this:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> date|mail email at domain
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Yet, I've recently configured /etc/aliases to send root email
> to
>>>> my
>>>>>>>>> personal email address:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> root:           email at domain
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> But I get delayed email messages from 1and1, my domain host for
>>>> these
>>>>>>>>> emails because my machine name (centsovm.serioustechnology.com)
>>> is
>>>> not
>>>>>>>>> valid.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> So, how is this possible?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Maybe it has something to do with not being able to contact that
>>>>>>>> server.  I cannot resolve that address.
>>>>>>> The issue is, when I send it from the command line, it is
>>> apparently
>>>>>>> using my localhost.  When the cron job runs and redirects email
> via
>>>>>>> /etc/aliases, it appears to be using the mail server for my
> hosting
>>>> company.
>>>>>>> Why the inconsistency?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Really, how is this even possible?
>>>>>> Do you have sendmail configured to use a relayhost?  Would you
> mind
>>>>>> putting headers from the two different emails on a pastebin
>>> somewhere
>>>>>> for comparison?
>>>>> No relayhost.  I'll see if I can get some useful header info.  What
> 
>>>>> baffles me is it appears that this one machine uses localhost from
>>> the
>>>>> command line and my hosting company mail server for cron output.
>>>>>
>>>>> How is that even possible?
>>>> Here's more to this oddity.  I run this on the command line as my
>>> normal
>>>> user:
>>>>
>>>> date|mail user at domain
>>>>
>>>> where I'm sending email to my email address.  Comes through fine.
>>>>
>>>> If I do the same thing as root, the email does not come through.
>>>>
>>>> ????
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-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
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