Hello everyone,

I am setting up a mail server using the Postfix instructions here:

http://library.linode.com/email/postfix ... -6-squeeze

Everything went okay, right up to the point where I had to test Postfix for SMTP-AUTH and TLS.

I typed in the telnet localhost 25 command and came up with connection refused. It even said the same when I used my remote host ip address.

I have read through some of the forum posts here and via google.

I am not sure if my IP is blocking port 25.

When I do a netstat scan, it shows that nothing is listening to port 25, it isn't even in the list.

Active Internet connections (servers and established)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address Foreign Address State
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:993 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:995 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:3306 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:110 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:143 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:111 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:22 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:5432 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:37176 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:3306 127.0.0.1:57329 ESTABLISHED
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:57329 127.0.0.1:3306 ESTABLISHED
tcp 0 224 my ip 81.191.61.250:45169 ESTABLISHED
tcp6 0 0 :::80 :::* LISTEN
tcp6 0 0 :::22 :::* LISTEN
tcp6 0 0 my ip:80 180.76.5.146:56289 TIME_WAIT

I also took a look in my /var/log/mail.log:

Oct 12 03:10:38 (none) postfix/master[14735]: terminating on signal 15
Oct 12 03:10:39 (none) postfix/master[20178]: daemon started -- version 2.7.1, configuration /etc/postfix
Oct 12 03:31:20 (none) dovecot: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=20302 uid=0 code=kill)
Oct 12 03:31:20 (none) dovecot: Dovecot v1.2.15 starting up (core dumps disabled)
Oct 12 03:31:20 (none) dovecot: auth-worker(default): mysql: Connected to 127.0.0.1 (mail)
Oct 12 03:34:58 (none) dovecot: pop3-login: Aborted login (no auth attempts): rip=127.0.0.1, lip=127.0.0.1, secured
Oct 12 03:36:07 (none) postfix/master[20178]: terminating on signal 15
Oct 12 03:36:07 (none) postfix/master[20444]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 111: bad transport type: user=vmail:vmail

I am not sure why there is an error in the last line concerning the master.cf, as these were the instructions given from the above help guide on Linode. I don't know if that is interfering with anything either.

I am sure there is a way to open port 25 or to do something clever or easy to fix this, but I do not know what. I would appreciate a helping hand and a push into the right direction.

Thanks in advance,
Jasmin

Ah by the way, I tried the advice from theckman to check if my IP is blocking 25 by checking another mail server that certainly works.

Have you made sure your ISP isn't blocking outbound port 25? You can test this by seeing if another mailserver is blocked on port 25. I know for a fact mail2.linode.com should accept connections on port 25. Won't allow you to send mail, but TCP handshake should complete.

-Tim

When I telnet mail2.linode.com 25 it works. So it seems that my IP is not blocking port 25.

What's your servers IP? Also post the content of your postfix configuration file.

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Hi Obs,

server ip is: 176.58.103.37

here is the content of main.cf :

# Debian specific: Specifying a file name will cause the first
# line of that file to be used as the name. The Debian default
# is /etc/mailname.
#myorigin = /etc/mailname

smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name (Debian/GNU)
biff = no

# appending .domain is the MUA's job.
append_dot_mydomain = no

# Uncomment the next line to generate "delayed mail" warnings
#delay_warning_time = 4h

readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix

# TLS parameters
smtpd_tls_cert_file = /etc/postfix/smtpd.cert
smtpd_tls_key_file = /etc/postfix/smtpd.key
smtpd_use_tls = yes
smtpd_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtpd_scache
smtp_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtp_scache

# See /usr/share/doc/postfix/TLS_README.gz in the postfix-doc package for
# information on enabling SSL in the smtp client.

myhostname = mirrabooka.eu
alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases
myorigin = /etc/mailname
mydestination = mirrabooka.eu, localhost, localhost.localdomain
relayhost =
mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8
mailbox_size_limit = 0
recipient_delimiter = +
inet_interfaces = all
html_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/html
message_size_limit = 30720000
virtual_alias_domains =
virtual_alias_maps = proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_forwardings.cf, mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_email2email.cf
virtual_mailbox_domains = proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_domains.cf
virtual_mailbox_maps = proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_mailboxes.cf
virtual_mailbox_base = /home/vmail
virtual_uid_maps = static:5000
virtual_gid_maps = static:5000
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes
smtpd_sasl_authenticated_header = yes
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, permit_sasl_authenticated, reject_unauth_destination
virtual_create_maildirsize = yes
virtual_maildir_extended = yes
proxy_read_maps = $local_recipient_maps $mydestination $virtual_alias_maps $virtual_alias_domains $virtual_mailbox_maps $virtual_mailbox_domains $relay_recipient_maps $relay_domains $canonical_maps $sender_canonical_maps $recipient_canonical_maps $relocated_maps $transport_maps $mynetworks $virtual_mailbox_limit_maps
virtual_transport = dovecot
dovecot_destination_recipient_limit = 1

What's the output of

grep ^vmail /etc/group /etc/passwd; ls -l /home | grep vmail

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Hi,

the output of that command is:

$ grep ^vmail /etc/group /etc/passwd; ls -l /home | grep vmail
/etc/group:vmail:x:5000:
/etc/passwd:vmail:x:5000:5000::/home/vmail:/bin/sh
drwxr-xr-x 2 vmail vmail 4096 Oct 11 20:40 vmail

Well the error

Oct 12 03:36:07 (none) postfix/master[20444]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 111: bad transport type: user=vmail:vmail

is why it's not starting, however you do have the vmail user and it looks fine.

I don't have a debian box handy to test the tutorial out on, I'd suggest try running through it again maybe you missed a step. If that doesn't work post the contents of your /etc/postfix/master.cf

_________________
Paid support
How to ask for help
1. Give details of your problem
2. Post any errors
3. Post relevant logs.
4. Don't hide details i.e. your domain, it just makes things harder
5. Be polite or you'll be eaten by a grue

Typically "transport type" would be "unix" here; it's the second parameter of the master.cf entry.

Two guesses:
1) Leading spaces have got lost in the second line of the "dovecot" entry and so it thinks it's a new entry
2) An error in the line above

_________________
Rgds
Stephen
(Linux user since kernel version 0.11)