On Wed, 4 Jul 2001, Ron Brogden wrote:
> Howdy. I have been having a long running issue with a large mailing list I
> am looking after and the problem seems to boil down to a file locking issue
> between Listar (the MLM) and Exim (the MTA obviously). The scenario is as
> follows:
> listar.log:
>
> [06/29/2001-19:33:48] [65557] IO IN : 451 Cannot check
> <obscured@obscured> at this time - please try later
> [06/29/2001-19:33:48] [65557] Response: 451 Cannot check
> <obscured@obscured> at this time - please try later
> [06/29/2001-19:33:48] [65557] Receipient 'obscured@obscured' rejected!
It's not a file locking problem.
It appears that Listar is sending a message with a recipient that cannot
be verified. It then seems that it is not behaving very well when it
gets that temporary error response.
Many programs that submit messages using SMTP don't handle temporary
errors. Perhaps you should set
receiver_verify_hosts = !127.0.0.1
assuming Listar is submitting the message over the loopback address.
That is, turn off receiver verification when accepting a message from
the local host.
> Here's what Exim has to say about it:
>
> 2001-06-29 18:26:42 15G9Wz-000H3K-00 <= someuser@somewhere H=(someuser)
> [192.168.0.1] P=smtp S=3951 id=01C100C9.08212160.someuser@somewhere
> 2001-06-29 18:33:23 15G9Wz-000H3K-00 Spool file is locked (another process is
> handling this message)
This means that the Listar process hasn't completed, so Exim is waiting.
Meanwhile, a queue runner process has come along, taken a look, and
discovered that that message is still being processed.
> 2001-06-30 18:26:42 15G9Wz-000H3K-00 ** |/home/listar/listar -s newsletter
> <listaddress@listserver> D=system_aliases T=address_pipe: pipe delivery
> process timed out
The Listar process never completed. Exim gave up.
> Now this does not always happen - a successful run was performed a few days
> previously but that was the first complete run in months.
Presumably no addresses had problems!
--
Philip Hazel University of Cambridge Computing Service,
ph10@??? Cambridge, England. Phone: +44 1223 334714.
