Ok, I got the apache problems solved and Perl works (still debugging but it works)...


Got Mail Enable to POP but it will not SMTP send.


Everyone said 'it is a reverse DNS problem' but a guy in England demonstrated that HIS ME sent mail just fine and he has no reverse DNS (sorry for wasting your time for a week about setting up BIND).


So, I am so close, so ffffing close now. This is the LAST thing I need to debug. Anyone want to give us a hand to get our EDU site working once and for all so I can CLOSE this darn thread?


Here are the stats:

2k box (don't puke paleeez).

T1 hit to 209.234.105.111

ME Std.


ME set for server bigdrivehosting.com


default in my vhost config is bigdrivehosting.com


POP WORKS and Outlook can fetch mail coming to that server.


When I try to send ME kicks back the following email:


MailEnable: Message delivery has been delayed.

Message is waiting at bigdrivehosting.com for delivery to yahoo.com.

Reason: Mail Server for yahoo.com could not be contacted at this time. MailEnable will keep trying to deliver this message and will notify you of any progress.


Message headers follow:

Received: from server ([209.234.105.111]) by bigdrivehosting.com with MailEnable ESMTP; Mon, 02 Feb 2004 14:24:05 -0800
Message-ID: <007a01c3e9db$44b04c20$6f69ead1@bigdrivehosting.com>
From: "Sales" <info@bigdrivehosting.com>
To: <kckclass@yahoo.com>
Subject: test again
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 14:24:05 -0800
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1106



Now my buddy in England was able to send to kckclass easily so I don't think it is an rDNS problem as I thought before because HE DOESN'T have it either.


When I run ME diagnostics, I get a FAIL on the following line:

Local Mail Domain Resolution Test (bigdrivehosting.com) Error: Could not resolve your Local Domain Name in DNS. You should change the local domain name to a domain name that is registered in DNS. This setting is found in the MMC under the properties of the SMTP Connector Error: Could not resolve DNS. (1460) Fail


I went into MY COMPUTER, PROPERTIES, NETWORK, etc. and everything is set for bigdrivehosting.com etc.


HOWEVER, I tried to set my PC up as a member of the domain and it would not do it so I am a member of the group MAIL.


My DNS for bigdrivehosting.com at godaddy is set up as

@ A 209.234.105.111 and

@ MX10 bigdrivehosting.com

I have been to their website and forum and still no answer..


Any ideas from the crew?

what is the machines actual name? it sounds like your MTA is drying to do a DNS lookup for <machinename>.<domain>.<tld> and its failing. Add an A record for the machine name and you should be ok.

BTW, some networks will not accept mail from your server if it does not have an rDNS entry, AOL is one of these networks (although sometimes it gets through and sometimes it will reject).

rDNS needs to be either configured by the person/company who allocated your IP's or they have to delegate the reverse rights to your name servers otherwise it will not work.

She is called server (mycomputer, prop, netid, prop)

member of workgroup mail and I click MORE and primary DNS is bigdrivehosting.com


Am changing DNS now and thanks eB...


OK, set an A record and an MX (just in case althought that probably hosed it eh?)


www A 209.234.105.111
server A 209.234.105.111
@ A 209.234.105.111
@ MX10 bigdrivehosting.com
@ MX20 server.bigdrivehosting.com

I figure somehow, someway, they will find us with that?!?

1. THIS THREAD IS RESOLVED AND SHOULD BE CLOSED.


2. THE TITLE IS AN INDICATOR OF HOW LONG IT TAKES A TEACHER WITH 25 YEARS OF SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE AND A VERY HUGE (22 PAGE) RESUME TO LEARN APACHE, INSTALL PERL AND GET A MAIL PROGRAM WORKING FROM SCRATCH - ABOUT A MONTH FOR 20+ WEBSITES.

3. DURING THAT PROCESS I RELIED HEAVILY ON THIS WEBSITE AND FOLKS I HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE BUT LET ME DO IT ONE LAST TIME: CHOON, STDUNBAR, EBOUNDARY, WINKIE AND TWO FOLKS AT THE MAIL ENABLE SITE MARK AND SUNPOST. BETWEEN THESE TWO SITES, I HAVE 20+ SITES UP AND NOW SIMPLY HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE URLS FOR THE NEW DRIVE STRUCTURE AND GO THROUGH THE PERL WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I GAINED HERE.

3. MY ANSWERS CAME FROM THESE TWO FORUMS (AND RESOURCES FOUND HEREIN) AND IT'S ABILITY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF APACHE, PERL AND ME INSTALLATION, THE SUPPORT THESE FORUMS HAS PROVIDED AND OF COURSE THE PRICE AND PRODUCT PERFORMANCE.

4. THE ANSWER IS YES TO APACHE, YES TO PERL UNDER APACHE AND YES TO MAIL ENABLE, ALL RUNNING ON A 2K BOX.

THE PRODUCTS ALL INSTALLED EASILY AND WITH THE HELP OF THIS FORUM WE WERE ABLE TO GET 20 SITES UP, DNS STRAIGHTENED OUT AND THE POP EMAIL WORKING (THANKS TO MARK) AND WITH THE HELP OF A NIGHT-RIDER NAMED SUNPOST WE GOT THE SMTP SEND WORKING AND CAN NOW BEGIN TO TEST MAIL ENABLE STANDARD WITH OUR PERL AND I HAVE FAITH IT WILL WORK, JUST AS EACH OF THESE PRODUCTS HAS WORKED WELL ONCE INSTALLATION IS COMPLETED AND COACHED BY TECHS WHO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. ON BEHALF OF KIDS COMPUTER KAMP, I WISH TO THANK THE CREW HERE AND AT ME'S WEBSITE (MARK AND SUNPOST) FOR THEIR HELP AT ELIMINATING THE FRUSTRATION WITH GETTING TO THIS POINT AND THANK APACHE, PERL AND MAIL ENABLE FOR PROVIDING PRODUCTS THAT ARE GREAT, EVEN AT 200 TIMES THE PRICE: FREE.

5. FINALLY, THE SOLUTION TO OUR FINAL PROBLEM-UNABLE TO SEND SMTP MAIL WITH MAIL ENABLE:

A) THE SMTP CONNTECTOR DNS SETTINGS. I THOUGHT THESE SHOULD BE MY IP ADDRESS SUCH AS IT IS SET IN MY ZONE RECORDS FOR DNS. THIS IS NOT CORRECT.

THIS FIELD SHOULD BE (AT LEAST IN OUR CASE) THE DNS ADDRESSES ONE SEES WHEN YOU TYPE IPCONFIG /ALL AT A DOS PROMPT, SEPERATED BY SPACES. PERHAPS THIS IS EXPLAINED IN A MANUAL AND I FAILED TO READ IT.

I MIGHT SUGGEST TO MAIL ENABLE THAT THE DIAGNOSTIC SCREEN THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU GET A FAIL ON THE DNS SHOULD INCLUDE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS ON USING THAT UTILITY (IPCONFIG /ALL) TO OBTAIN THOSE NUMBERS AND FURTHER, ON INSTALLING THEM ON THE SMTP CONNECTOR FUNCTION. THAT WOULD HAVE SAVED ME A WEEK OF BEATING MY BRAINS OUT.


6. BUT IT WOULD HAVE MEANT I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE MET THE NICE USERS IN THESE FORUMS AND PROBABLY I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE FAITH I NOW HAVE DEVELOPED IN BOTH THE PRODUCT (WHICH WORKS GREAT ONCE CONFIGURED RIGHT) AND JUST AS IMPORTANT, IN THESE SUPPORT FORUMS AND THE MEMBERS HEREIN.

I AM SURE I WILL RUN INTO MORE PROBLEMS AS WE EXPAND THIS ASPECT OF OUR SITE WITH OUR NUMEROUS PERL SCRIPTS BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT APACHE, PERL AND MAIL ENABLE WER ALL WISE CHOICES AND EACH WILL HANDLE WHATEVER WE THROW AT THEM.


THANK YOU ALL AGAIN AND I AM SORRY IF I WAS A PAIN... BUT THE SQUEEKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE AND I DO FEEL IT IS TIME TO GET PROFESSIONALLY LUBED: TIME FOR A WELL EARNED BEER FOR ALL.


SINCERELY,


CRAIG MEAD

CEO AND TEACHER: KIDS COMPUTER KAMP

SOFTWARE ENGINEER - 25 YEARS