FreeBSD 6.2 + qmail = problem sending email to freebsd.org

[DNAeon]

Hi!

I have experienced a problem while trying to send an email to the FreeBSD mailing lists - in general I have a problem when sending email to freebsd.org.

The system is FreeBSD 6.2 with qmail-1.03_6 - qmail was installed and configured long ago and since then I haven't upgraded anything on the system, because I didn't want to mess something up since portupgrade is not my favorite one

Anyway - I can send and receive emails from anyone and to anyone, except freebsd.org. When I send a mail to freebsd.org the mail stays in the queue forever and even though flushing it (qmailctl flush) won't help. Strange thing...

Here's what I've found in the log - this is from today (/var/log/qmail/qmail-smtpd/current)

@4000000048df3da335c06a04 tcpserver: status: 0/30
@4000000048df40aa19688e04 tcpserver: status: 1/30
@4000000048df40aa1979faf4 tcpserver: pid 1190 from 10.10.0.6
@4000000048df40aa1a40b5f4 tcpserver: ok 1190 unix-heaven.org:10.10.0.5:25 :10.10.0.6::61294
@4000000048df40aa21d0da4c qmail-smtpd[1190]: AUTH successful [10.10.0.6] daemon@unix-heaven.org
@4000000048df40af159d708c tcpserver: end 1190 status 0
@4000000048df40af159f60a4 tcpserver: status: 0/30
@4000000048df414039ba28fc tcpserver: status: 1/30
@4000000048df414039cb24a4 tcpserver: pid 1293 from 69.147.83.53
@4000000048df4141085bee44 tcpserver: ok 1293 unix-heaven.org:10.10.0.5:25 mx2.freebsd.org:69.147.83.53::58576
@4000000048df4141301136c4 qmail-smtpd[1293]: Received-SPF: pass (unix-heaven.org: SPF record at freebsd.org designates 69.147.83.53 as permitted sender)
@4000000048df414525f6c5dc tcpserver: end 1293 status 0
@4000000048df414525fa213c tcpserver: status: 0/30

In the log 10.10.0.5 is the address of my mail server, 10.10.0.6 - a mail client.

qmailctl queue
messages in queue: 1
messages in queue but not yet preprocessed: 0
28 Sep 2008 11:30:29 GMT  #565659  2435  <daemon@unix-heaven.org>
        remote  freebsd-ports@freebsd.org

Yesterday when I tried to send email to freebsd.org I've found this in the log (which doesn't appear now and I think it's for good ):

@4000000048de7dd02510af84 status: local 0/10 remote 1/120
@4000000048de7dd13acbf6bc delivery 2: deferral: 69.147.83.52_does_not_like_recipient./Remote_host_said:_450_4.7.1_<freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>:_Recipient_address_rejected:_Se rvice_is_unavailable/Giving_up_on_69.147.83.52./

Btw, I don't have a DNS server on neither on the mail server or the gateway.

Any suggestions on why the mail stays in the queue only when sending email to freebsd.org?

Thanks!

[J65nko]

You are not blacklisted and do have a reverse DNS entry...

$ blcheck 78.90.73.87    
IP 78.90.73.87 NAME unix-heaven.org.
2008-09-28_22:47:58_UTC 87.73.90.78.cbl.abuseat.org.           ---
2008-09-28_22:47:58_UTC 87.73.90.78.dnsbl.sorbs.net.           ---
2008-09-28_22:47:58_UTC 87.73.90.78.bl.spamcop.net.            ---
2008-09-28_22:47:58_UTC 87.73.90.78.zen.spamhaus.org.          ---
2008-09-28_22:47:58_UTC 87.73.90.78.combined.njabl.org.        ---

So that is not the cause.
It is very likely that FreeBSD.org rejects the first delivery attempt in order to prevent spam. A cracked Windows box sending out spam will not retry delivery, while a real MTA will.

If you followed the Lifewithqmail install you can do

# qmailctl doqueue

This will flush the queue and is equivalent to

# /var/qmail/bin/qmail-tcpok
# svc -a /service/qmail-send

IIRC a code 450 means a temporary failure. That is why qmail just deferred delivery and did not give up completely

[DNAeon]

Thanks for the tips, J65nko!

I've tried all of these:

# qmailctl flush
# qmailctl doqueue
# /var/qmail/bin/qmail-tcpok
# svc -a /service/qmail-send

With no result - the message stays in the queue...

In my qmail log I don't have the error code 450 anymore.. This is happening only when sending emails to FreeBSD.org - what could be the problem?

Thanks again!

--
DNAeon