Re: [Exim] Bad sequence of command

Top Page
Delete this message
Reply to this message
Author: Christian Balzer
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] Bad sequence of command
Phillip Hazel wrote:
>On Fri, 8 Sep 2000, Christian Balzer wrote:
>
>> The MTA of a major mobile phone company is smoking bad crack and gives a
>>
>>     SMTP error from remote mailer after initial connection:
>>     host mfsmax.docomo.ne.jp [210.153.85.216]:
>>     503 Bad sequence of command

>>
>> to most (but not all!) mails send to it.
>> I use queue_smtp_domains = "*" and a queue-runner every minute and
>> my suspicion is that they don't handle multiple mails in one
>> session well over there.
>
>No, that can't be it; "after initial connection" means after it first
>connects ... worries ... checks code ... aarrgghh!! You have found a
>bug(let). Exim is failing to change "initial connection" to whatever the
>last command was in the case of a second message sent down the same
>channel. So the response is after something else (I would guess the next
>MAIL FROM). If you want, I can supply a trivial patch to fix this
>oversight.
>

Nah, it was bit confusing but having been round SMTP and MTAs for years
(the last 2 with Exim) I figured out what was going on.
So next release is fine with me. :)

>> Is there a way to log/report _outgoing_ SMTP dialogue within Exim?
>
>Any delivery with -v (which is the same as -d1) will show the dialogue.
>

Thanks and as expected they don't grok multiple emails in the same
channel.

Abbreviated log:
---
Connecting to mfsmax.docomo.ne.jp [210.153.85.215] ... connected
SMTP<< 220 mfsmax.docomo.ne.jp Sendmail GRIMM Service Ready
SMTP>> HELO mx01.fields.gol.com

SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed
SMTP>> MAIL FROM:<root@???>

SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed
SMTP>> RCPT TO:<xxx@???>

SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed
SMTP>> DATA

SMTP<< 354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>
SMTP>> writing message and terminating "."

SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed
Exim version 3.12 debug level 1 uid=8 gid=8
LOG: 0 MAIN
=> xxx@??? R=lookuphost T=remote_smtp H=mfsmax.docomo.ne.jp
[210.153.85.215]
LOG: 0 MAIN
Completed
probably Berkeley DB version 1.8x (native mode)
delivering message 13XKhR-0006in-00 (queue run pid 25844 fd 5)
SMTP>> MAIL FROM:<root@???>

SMTP<< 503 Bad sequence of command
SMTP>> QUIT

---

>You can restrict the number of messages sent down the same SMTP
>connection by setting batch_max in the smtp transport. You could have a
>separate transport just for the bad domain if you wanted.
>

I know I could, but I don't want to. They have been informed about this
and are obviously the only one on the planet with this GRIM reaper
sendmail. :P NTT or not, they're not big enough to warrant an
exemption from the RFCs.

Dewa,

<CB>
-- 
Christian Balzer        Network Engineer        Engineering
c-balzer@???   Exodus Communications K.K.
Phone: +81 3 5334 1739  FAX: +81 3 5334 1702    http://www.exodus.co.jp/