Bug#524494: exim4: TLS port not automatically used (cf. README.Debian 2.2.1)

[Andreas Metzler]

On 2009-04-17 Drew Parsons <dparsons at debian.org> wrote:
> Package: exim4
> Version: 4.69-9
> Severity: normal

> After configuring exim to send mail via a smarthost, I found that my
> ISP blocks connections to port 25.  It does however permit connections
> to ports 465 (SSL) and 587 (TLS).

> /usr/share/doc/exim4-config/README.Debian.gz says in section 2.2.1
> that exim will use TLS automatically if the server supports it,
> needing no special configuration.

> However, exim does not in fact appear to be attempting to use port 587.
> The error message in the exim logs is: 
>  R=smarthost T=remote_smtp_smarthost defer (113): No route to host
> which is the error for connecting to port 25 (as seen with 
> "telnet mail.host.net 25" ).

> I can get exim to work and send mail by manually specifying
> mail.host.net::587 instead of just mail.host.net in the debconf
> configuration for the smarthost (i.e. setting dc_smarthost).  But
> according to section 2.2.1, I shouldn't have to do that.

> Is Sect 2.2.1 deprecated or is this a bug in the code?
[...]

Neither. ;-) "Using TLS" has nothing to do with trying port 587.
exim does automatically use TLS if available (on the smtp port),
however it does not connect to ports besides 25 unless told to do so.
cu andreas

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