[Web4lib] Q: Where do you find server settings in unix sendmail?

[Cary Gordon]

Depending on the flavor of linux you are running, you might be able to:

service --status-all (tells you what's running)
look for sendmail in the list. If it is running, fine. If not:
service sendmail start
Set your program or script to use localhost for sending mail.

Warning: if you do this, make sure that some sort of firewall is  
protecting the server against relaying outside email. The simplest  
way to do this is to deny all traffic on port 25. You can do this  
using iptables and/or selinux.

If smtp wasn't running, you will want to set it to start at runlevels  
2, 3, 4 & 5. Different linux flavors have different commands for  
doing this. In Redhat/CentOS it is chkconfig:

chkconfig sendmail --add
chkconfig sendmail on --level 2,3,4,5

Thanks,

Cary

Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://www.chillco.com


On Nov 7, 2007, at 4:31 PM, Cornwall, Daniel D (EED) wrote:

> I have a linux-based web alerting program that sends me a monthly e- 
> mail. When our institution switched from a smtp to an MS Exchange  
> environment, my program (no surprise) stopped e-mailing. My linux  
> box uses sendmail and I think it should be a simple matter of  
> changing the mail server settings. But I can't find them. I've  
> looked in /etc/mail and /etc/postix. I've looked through the Red  
> Hat knowledge base and searched my favorite search engine. Nothing  
> I can use turned up. Any ideas?
>
> I know I'm on the outer edge of appropriate messaging on this list,  
> but the web alerting program is linked to a library service. And if  
> people know of specific linux/unix mailing lists I can ask my newby  
> questions on, please let me know. Thanks! - Daniel
>
> ===============================
> Daniel Cornwall
> Head of Information Services
> Alaska State Library
> PO Box 110571
> Juneau AK 99811-0571
> Ph: 907-465-1315
> Fax: 907-465-2665
> E-mail: dan.cornwall at alaska.gov
>