[Exim] vacation messages and FAQ Q0431

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Author: Bruce Bowler
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: [Exim] vacation messages and FAQ Q0431
I'm running 3.03.

I'm trying to help my users by making it as easy as possible to create
vacation messages.

I read the subject FAQ and did what it says, verbatim (except that my
vacation program in in /usr/bin so I used that instead of /usr/ucb).

As a result, the relevant parts of my configure file look like...

>######################################################################
>#                      TRANPORTS CONFIGURATION                       #
>######################################################################

>
>local_delivery:
> driver = appendfile
> file = /usr/spool/mail/${local_part}
> delivery_date_add
> envelope_to_add
> return_path_add
>
>address_pipe:
> driver = pipe
> return_output
>
>address_file:
> driver = appendfile
> delivery_date_add
> envelope_to_add
> return_path_add
>
>address_directory:
> driver = appendfile
> no_from_hack
> prefix = ""
> suffix = ""
> delivery_date_add
> envelope_to_add
> return_path_add
>
>address_reply:
> driver = autoreply
>
>remote_smtp:
> driver = smtp
>
>vacation_pipe:
> driver = pipe
> command = "/usr/ucb/vacation \"$local_part\""
>
>end


and

>######################################################################
>#                      DIRECTORS CONFIGURATION                       #
>#             Specifies how local addresses are handled              #
>######################################################################
>#                          ORDER DOES MATTER                         #
>#   A local address is passed to each in turn until it is accepted.  #
>######################################################################

>
>system_aliases:
> driver = aliasfile
> file_transport = address_file
> pipe_transport = address_pipe
> file = /var/adm/sendmail/aliases
> search_type = lsearch
>
>userforward:
> driver = forwardfile
> file_transport = address_file
> pipe_transport = address_pipe
> reply_transport = address_reply
> no_verify
> filter = true
> check_ancestor
> file = .forward
>
>majordomo:
> driver = aliasfile
> file_transport = address_file
> pipe_transport = address_pipe
> domains = bigelow.org
> file = /var/adm/sendmail/majordomo.aliases
> search_type = lsearch
> forbid_pipe = false
> user = majordom
>
>vacation:
> driver = localuser
> require_files = .vacation.msg
> transport = vacation_pipe
> unseen
>
>localuser:
> driver = localuser
> transport = local_delivery
>
>end



Messages sent to a local user, like me, show the following in the log...

>1999-09-24 14:18:06 11UZv4-0003tC-00 <= bbowler@???

H=b141.bigelow.org (bruce) [198.116.72.141] P=smtp S=808
id=3.0.6.32.19990924141805.007e9430@alpha1.
>bigelow.org
>1999-09-24 14:18:07 11UZv4-0003tC-00 user ".vacation.msg" for file

existence test not found
>


Despite the fact that ls clearly show's it's there and owned by me...

># ls -l /usr/users/bowler
>total 173
>-rw-r--r--   1 bowler   users        240 Sep 24 14:16 .forward
>-rw-r--r--   1 bowler   users        133 Sep 24 14:05 .vacation.msg


Perhaps more troubling is that the message isn't delivered (it's in the
queue but it's not delivered). This also happens for folks who don't have
.vacation.msg files...

What's wrong?

Also, a comment on that particular FAQ. It' ends with the comment

>An alternative is to use Exim's autoreply transport instead of piping to
>/usr/ucb/vacation.


It would be nice if that option were shown in detail in the FAQ

Bruce Bowler                             207.633.9600 (voice)
Research Associate                       207.633.9641 (fax)
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences    bbowler@???
West Boothbay Harbor ME  04575           http://www.bigelow.org/