Re: [Exim] "You must say full HELO first" SMTP error

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Author: Phil Pennock
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] "You must say full HELO first" SMTP error
On 2000-10-06 at 16:08 +0100, Jon Paxton gifted us with:
>   David.Tellis@???:
>     SMTP error from remote mailer after MAIL
> FROM:<marion.daltrey@???>:
>     host mail.letec.co.uk [194.129.189.164]:
>     503 You must say full HELO first 212.13.193.20

>
> It isn't just this remote recipient which is causing the problem
> either... As far as I can tell, the problem is something to do with the
> fact that the server suggests it is ESMTP capable (in the initial
> smtp response when you connect), but doesn't actually support the EHLO
> command... I'm running exim 3.14


I'd be inclined to agree with your analysis.

Note that ESMTP is an IANA-registered protocol name, so proclaiming it
incorrectly is, in some sense, wrong. But AFAIK there's nothing in the
relevant RFCs which says that ESMTP should only be proclaimed by servers
which support it, or even suggests that servers which support it should
proclaim it. I'd be _very_ happy to be proved wrong here.


S: 220 fndexch001.foundation Mail essentials  server (2.422) ready for ESMTP transfer
C: EHLO {my.host.name}
S: 502    
      ^^^^ four trailing spaces
C: HELO {my.host.name}
S: 250 Hello> {my.host.name} You are from : {my.ip.address}
C: quit
S: 221 Server is closing this channel



The four trailing spaces just serve to indicate how pathetically sloppy
the coding of that server is. :^(
--
Civilisation: where they cut down the trees and name streets after them.