I decided to rebuild my Linode with the latest Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and setup everything from scratch.
I followed this guide: http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-serve ... onfig-3-p4
I'm not receiving e-mails and I'm not able to send any. After composing a mail using SquirrelMail 1.4.23 [SVN], I get an error: "ERROR: Message Not Sent. Server Replied:"

I don't even know how to start diagnosing. Please, suggestions?

What's in the mail log?

Howtoforge is terrible - I wouldn't follow their "how to pet a dog" article let alone anything techie.

_________________
Either provide enough details for people to help, or sit back and listen to the crickets chirp.
Security thru obscurity is a myth - and really really annoying.

Sorry for the noob question, but where do I find this?



Actually, not for me. I've used their guides/community for just about anything Server related, and it's never failed me till now.

Bump!

On CentOS it's in /var/log/maillog and you'd have to either be logged in as root, or use sudo to even see it. I don't know about Ubuntu.

Not to pile on, but if you're not sure how to find the log for a critical service like email, I'm not sure upgrading the OS is a good idea generally.

It's /var/log/mail.log on Ubuntu

_________________
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

Hello,

I'm still unable to receive or send e-mails. I'm wondering if the best thing to do now would be to return to Ubuntu 12.04.
I just cleared my "mail.log" file then logged in and attempted to send an e-mail again, still nothing. I keep getting "mail transport unavailable".
I even un-installed all mail related packages and re-installed them, but I can't get it to work.

May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=19693, secured, session=<ehnWdRP60gAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=44 out=843
May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=19695, secured, session=<rgLgdRP60wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=261 out=1691
May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=19697, secured, session=<6H3gdRP61AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:09:55 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=294 out=3065
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/pickup[32463]: 1C393E269: uid=0 from=<root>
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/cleanup[18827]: 1C393E269: message-id=<20140523161001.1C393E269@research.n3rve.com>
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/qmgr[3642]: 1C393E269: from=<root@research.n3rve.com>, size=603, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/error[18849]: 1C393E269: to=<root@research.n3rve.com>, orig_to=<root>, relay=none, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (mail transport unavailable)
May 23 16:10:01 research dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 0 secs): user=<>, rip=::1, lip=::1, secured, session=<K0c0dhP62QAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:10:01 research dovecot: pop3-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 0 secs): user=<>, rip=::1, lip=::1, secured, session=<D1A0dhP6MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: connect from localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: lost connection after CONNECT from localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:01 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: disconnect from localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: connect from localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: warning: table "mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_client.cf": empty query string -- ignored
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: BBB87E06A: client=localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/cleanup[18827]: BBB87E06A: message-id=<39598557cafef255a051df674b2c727b.squirrel@n3rve.com>
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/qmgr[3642]: BBB87E06A: from=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, size=706, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/qmgr[3642]: warning: connect to transport private/amavis: Connection refused
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/smtpd[19819]: disconnect from localhost[::1]
May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/error[18849]: BBB87E06A: to=<hemba_m@yahoo.com>, relay=none, delay=0.05, delays=0.05/0/0/0, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (mail transport unavailable)
May 23 16:10:19 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=20765, secured, session=<2r9OdxP65QAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:10:19 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=600 out=524
May 23 16:10:20 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=20767, secured, session=<K/NTdxP65gAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:10:20 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=294 out=3065
May 23 16:10:25 research dovecot: imap-login: Login: user=<n3rve@n3rve.com>, method=PLAIN, rip=::1, lip=::1, mpid=20770, secured, session=<vbmedxP65wAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB>
May 23 16:10:25 research dovecot: imap(n3rve@n3rve.com): Disconnected: Logged out in=291 out=4372

Any help would be appreciated.

Can you recommend a solution to this problem? Can I follow another guide to setup e-mails on the server? Something that'll work?
I'll be willing to reverse the e-mail setup to use another solution.

Is Amavis running? It looks like it's not working.

May 23 16:10:19 research postfix/qmgr[3642]: warning: connect to transport private/amavis: Connection refused

Aside from that... what do your mail server's config files look like? There's probably something weird in there.

_________________

/* TODO: need to add signature to posts */

root@research:~# service amavis start
Starting amavisd: (already running).
root@research:~# service amavis restart
Stopping amavisd: amavisd-new.
Starting amavisd: amavisd-new.

No luck. Any files in particular, hoopycat?

main.cf from postfix would be a good start...

Try disabling the routing of mail through amavis and see if that gets things working again.

_________________

/* TODO: need to add signature to posts */

=== Main.cf ===

# See /usr/share/postfix/main.cf.dist for a commented, more complete version


# 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 (Ubuntu)
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.

smtpd_relay_restrictions = permit_mynetworks permit_sasl_authenticated defer_unauth_destination
myhostname = research.n3rve.com
alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/aliases
alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/aliases
myorigin = /etc/mailname
mydestination = research.n3rve.com, localhost, localhost.localdomain
relayhost = 
mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8 [::1]/128
mailbox_size_limit = 0
recipient_delimiter = +
inet_interfaces = all
html_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/html
virtual_alias_domains = 
virtual_alias_maps = proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_forwardings.cf, proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_email2email.cf, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/virtual-mailman
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 = /var/vmail
virtual_uid_maps = static:5000
virtual_gid_maps = static:5000
inet_protocols = all
smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes
broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes
smtpd_sasl_authenticated_header = yes
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = check_recipient_access mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_recipient.cf, permit_mynetworks, permit_sasl_authenticated, reject_unauth_destination
smtpd_tls_security_level = may
transport_maps = hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/transport-mailman, proxy:mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_transports.cf
relay_domains = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_relaydomains.cf
relay_recipient_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_relayrecipientmaps.cf
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
smtpd_sender_restrictions = check_sender_access mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_sender.cf
smtpd_client_restrictions = check_client_access mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql-virtual_client.cf
smtpd_client_message_rate_limit = 100
maildrop_destination_concurrency_limit = 1
maildrop_destination_recipient_limit = 1
virtual_transport = dovecot
header_checks = regexp:/etc/postfix/header_checks
mime_header_checks = regexp:/etc/postfix/mime_header_checks
nested_header_checks = regexp:/etc/postfix/nested_header_checks
body_checks = regexp:/etc/postfix/body_checks
owner_request_special = no
smtp_tls_security_level = may
dovecot_destination_recipient_limit = 1
smtpd_sasl_type = dovecot
smtpd_sasl_path = private/auth
content_filter = amavis:[127.0.0.1]:10024
receive_override_options = no_address_mappings
message_size_limit = 0

===master.cf===

#
# Postfix master process configuration file.  For details on the format
# of the file, see the master(5) manual page (command: "man 5 master" or
# on-line: http://www.postfix.org/master.5.html).
#
# Do not forget to execute "postfix reload" after editing this file.
#
# ==========================================================================
# service type  private unpriv  chroot  wakeup  maxproc command + args
#               (yes)   (yes)   (yes)   (never) (100)
# ==========================================================================
smtp      inet  n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
#smtp      inet  n       -       -       -       1       postscreen
#smtpd     pass  -       -       -       -       -       smtpd
#dnsblog   unix  -       -       -       -       0       dnsblog
#tlsproxy  unix  -       -       -       -       0       tlsproxy
submission inet n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
  -o syslog_name=postfix/submission
  -o smtpd_tls_security_level=encrypt
  -o smtpd_sasl_auth_enable=yes
  -o smtpd_client_restrictions=permit_sasl_authenticated,reject
#  -o smtpd_reject_unlisted_recipient=no
#  -o smtpd_client_restrictions=$mua_client_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_helo_restrictions=$mua_helo_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_sender_restrictions=$mua_sender_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_recipient_restrictions=
#  -o smtpd_relay_restrictions=permit_sasl_authenticated,reject
#  -o milter_macro_daemon_name=ORIGINATING
smtps     inet  n       -       -       -       -       smtpd
  -o syslog_name=postfix/smtps
  -o smtpd_tls_wrappermode=yes
  -o smtpd_sasl_auth_enable=yes
  -o smtpd_client_restrictions=permit_sasl_authenticated,reject
#  -o smtpd_reject_unlisted_recipient=no
#  -o smtpd_client_restrictions=$mua_client_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_helo_restrictions=$mua_helo_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_sender_restrictions=$mua_sender_restrictions
#  -o smtpd_recipient_restrictions=
#  -o smtpd_relay_restrictions=permit_sasl_authenticated,reject
#  -o milter_macro_daemon_name=ORIGINATING
#628       inet  n       -       -       -       -       qmqpd
pickup    unix  n       -       -       60      1       pickup
cleanup   unix  n       -       -       -       0       cleanup
qmgr      unix  n       -       n       300     1       qmgr
#qmgr     unix  n       -       n       300     1       oqmgr
tlsmgr    unix  -       -       -       1000?   1       tlsmgr
rewrite   unix  -       -       -       -       -       trivial-rewrite
bounce    unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
defer     unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
trace     unix  -       -       -       -       0       bounce
verify    unix  -       -       -       -       1       verify
flush     unix  n       -       -       1000?   0       flush
proxymap  unix  -       -       n       -       -       proxymap
proxywrite unix -       -       n       -       1       proxymap
smtp      unix  -       -       -       -       -       smtp
relay     unix  -       -       -       -       -       smtp
#       -o smtp_helo_timeout=5 -o smtp_connect_timeout=5
showq     unix  n       -       -       -       -       showq
error     unix  -       -       -       -       -       error
retry     unix  -       -       -       -       -       error
discard   unix  -       -       -       -       -       discard
local     unix  -       n       n       -       -       local
virtual   unix  -       n       n       -       -       virtual
lmtp      unix  -       -       -       -       -       lmtp
anvil     unix  -       -       -       -       1       anvil
scache    unix  -       -       -       -       1       scache
#
# ====================================================================
# Interfaces to non-Postfix software. Be sure to examine the manual
# pages of the non-Postfix software to find out what options it wants.
#
# Many of the following services use the Postfix pipe(8) delivery
# agent.  See the pipe(8) man page for information about ${recipient}
# and other message envelope options.
# ====================================================================
#
# maildrop. See the Postfix MAILDROP_README file for details.
# Also specify in main.cf: maildrop_destination_recipient_limit=1
#
maildrop  unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=DRhu user=vmail argv=/usr/bin/maildrop -d ${recipient}
#
# ====================================================================
#
# Recent Cyrus versions can use the existing "lmtp" master.cf entry.
#
# Specify in cyrus.conf:
#   lmtp    cmd="lmtpd -a" listen="localhost:lmtp" proto=tcp4
#
# Specify in main.cf one or more of the following:
#  mailbox_transport = lmtp:inet:localhost
#  virtual_transport = lmtp:inet:localhost
#
# ====================================================================
#
# Cyrus 2.1.5 (Amos Gouaux)
# Also specify in main.cf: cyrus_destination_recipient_limit=1
#
#cyrus     unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
#  user=cyrus argv=/cyrus/bin/deliver -e -r ${sender} -m ${extension} ${user}
#
# ====================================================================
# Old example of delivery via Cyrus.
#
#old-cyrus unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
#  flags=R user=cyrus argv=/cyrus/bin/deliver -e -m ${extension} ${user}
#
# ====================================================================
#
# See the Postfix UUCP_README file for configuration details.
#
uucp      unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=Fqhu user=uucp argv=uux -r -n -z -a$sender - $nexthop!rmail ($recipient)
#
# Other external delivery methods.
#
ifmail    unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=F user=ftn argv=/usr/lib/ifmail/ifmail -r $nexthop ($recipient)
bsmtp     unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=Fq. user=bsmtp argv=/usr/lib/bsmtp/bsmtp -t$nexthop -f$sender $recipient
scalemail-backend unix   -   n   n   -   2   pipe
  flags=R user=scalemail argv=/usr/lib/scalemail/bin/scalemail-store ${nexthop} ${user} ${extension}
mailman   unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=FR user=list argv=/usr/lib/mailman/bin/postfix-to-mailman.py
  ${nexthop} ${user}

How do I disable routing of mail through amavis? Just uninstall it?
Thanks for your help

You refer to "research.n3rve.com" in two places

myhostname = research.n3rve.com
mydestination = research.n3rve.com, localhost, localhost.localdomain

Yet that subdomain doesn't have any DNS entries.

No clue if that matters for your problem (plus I have a raging run of rhinopharyngitis and the associated drugs so who knows if this is completely off base) - just something that stuck out.

_________________
Either provide enough details for people to help, or sit back and listen to the crickets chirp.
Security thru obscurity is a myth - and really really annoying.

I think commenting out the content_filter line will cause it to stop using amavis as a content filter.

_________________

/* TODO: need to add signature to posts */