I'm trying to install debian 6 squeeze and exim4 as follows:
1. In linode admin: Deploy a Linux Distribution -> select Debian 6 -> boot linode and login.
2. In putty session, basic config:

root@debian:~# apt-get update
...

root@debian:~# apt-get upgrade --show-upgraded
...
Setting up acpid (1:2.0.7-1) ...
Starting ACPI services....

root@debian:~# echo "playground" > /etc/hostname
root@debian:~# hostname -F /etc/hostname
root@debian:~# vi /etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
109.74.205.143 playground.alexatnet.com playground
...

3. In putty session, exim4 config, following http://library.linode.com/email/exim/se ... -6-squeeze


root@debian:~# apt-get install exim4-daemon-light mailutils
...

root@debian:~# dpkg-reconfigure exim4-config

typed exactly as instruction recommends, only replaced sample domains with playground.alexatnet.com and playground.

root@debian:~# echo "This is a test." | mail -s Testing alex.netkachov@gmail.com
2011-03-01 22:42:02 1Pucws-0000lJ-IJ Cannot open main log file "/var/log/exim4/mainlog": Permission denied: euid=101 egid=103
2011-03-01 22:42:02 1Pucws-0000lJ-IJ <= root@playground.alexatnet.com U=root P=local S=405
2011-03-01 22:42:02 1Pucws-0000lJ-IJ Cannot open main log file "/var/log/exim4/mainlog": Permission denied: euid=101 egid=103
exim: could not open panic log - aborting: see message(s) above
Can't send mail: sendmail process failed with error code 1

I've repeated the steps with different values in /etc/hosts, different domains in exim options (redeploy the system each time) - the same error.

Please help.

BTW, I would like to use alexatnet.com as FQDM in /etc/hosts and exim config. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Alex

Small update: i've installed debian in VMWare and installed exim4 successfully.

Thanks,
Alex

Update: creating /var/log/exim4/mainlog fixes the error. exim delivers message correctly now.

Thanks linode support for provided solution.

Regards,
Alex

create /var/log/exim4 didn't work for me. Still looking for a solution.

Best regards,
Fernando

For an existing install, please try issuing the following command:

apt-get install --reinstall exim4-base

After doing so, follow the instructions here to reconfigure Exim: http://library.linode.com/email/exim/se ... -6-squeeze

This issue has been fixed in our base deployment images. Sorry about any inconvenience, and please let us know if you experience any additional difficulties.

Well, for me works with this command lines

chown Debian-exim:Debian-exim /var/log/exim4/mainlog
chmod 700 /var/log/exim4/mainlog