[Pkg-exim4-users] configuring exim4 smtp to use SSL

[Gary Dale]

On 17/03/15 08:00 PM, Alex King wrote:
> On 17/03/15 17:28, Gary Dale wrote:
>> On 16/03/15 02:36 PM, Alex King wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> On 17/03/15 05:17, Gary Dale wrote:
>>>> On 16/03/15 11:56 AM, Marc Haber wrote:
>>>>> On Mon, Mar 16, 2015 at 10:54:41AM -0400, Gary Dale wrote:
>>>>>> On 16/03/15 04:10 AM, Marc Haber wrote:
>>>>>>> On Sun, Mar 15, 2015 at 11:20:38PM -0400, Gary Dale wrote:
>>>>>>>> The log for an unsuccessful mail says:
>>>>>>>> 2015-03-14 00:47:44 1YWdzE-0000l6-CR <= <sending e-mail address>
>>>>>>>> U=garydale P=local S=1665
>>>>>>>> 2015-03-14 00:47:44 1YWdzE-0000l6-CR ** -r at localhost: 
>>>>>>>> Unrouteable address
>>>>>>>> 2015-03-14 00:47:44 1YWdzE-0000l6-CR ** gary at extremeground.com
>>>>>>>> R=smarthost T=remote_smtp_smarthost: retry time not reached for 
>>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>>> host after a long failure period
>>> This line, "retry time not reached for any host after a long failure 
>>> period" is telling you exim has given up and won't even try to send, 
>>> even for new emails arriving to be delivered for this address.
>>>
>>> This information is kept in the hints db.  Marc correctly pointed 
>>> you to the documentation which explains what is happening and how to 
>>> progress the issue.  See spec chapter 32 
>>> (http://www.exim.org/exim-html-current/doc/html/spec_html/ch-retry_configuration.html), 
>>> particularly 32.10, Long-term failures.
>>>
>>> To manage your hints db (which should not be necessary in normal 
>>> use), check out exim_ dumpdb and exim_tidydb. (Executables on your 
>>> system with man pages).
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>> Alex
>>
>> Would that be on a port basis? Mail sends fine to the same server 
>> using port 26.
>>
>> The retry rule that I get for that host: is Retry rule: *  * 
>> F,2h,15m; G,16h,1h,1.5; F,4d,6h;
>>
>> Looking in the db files, I get basically less information than I get 
>> with mailq and the exim4 log. Tidydb just removes records, which I 
>> can also do by changing the port to 26 and running exim -M <message>, 
>> which then sends the message.
>>
> I didn't see a failed attempt to connect to a remote system in the 
> original log you posted.   The tidy_db command (or removing the hints 
> (/var/spool/exim4/db/*, see Spec 32.1 Changing retry rules) would 
> allow you to test sending again with the failing configuration (ie, 
> not port 26), so you can see what the actual failure is.
>
> Also, viewing the hints with
> exim_dumpdb /var/spool/exim4/ retry
>
> will show the failure reason (which will be in the logs as well, but 
> not for every delivery attempt if the address has been failing for so 
> long that the cutoff time for the last retry algorithm has been reached).

mainlog shows only (after I cleared the queue and retry db) then sent 
fresh e-mail:
2015-03-17 11:49:08 1YXsvN-0004wQ-2C Remote host sunspot.dnchosting.com 
[199.7.109.2] closed connection in response to initial connection
along with multiple start and end queue runs and retry time not reached 
for any host messages.

while exim_dumpdb shows
   T:sunspot.dnchosting.com:199.7.109.2:465 -18 65 Remote host 
sunspot.dnchosting.com [199.7.109.2] closed connection in response to 
initial connection
17-Mar-2015 10:49:11  17-Mar-2015 22:49:08  18-Mar-2015 03:52:53

Again, I am able to send to this host and port using Thunderbird. It 
does take encrypted connections.