[Exim] Help with Vacation Processing

I am again at it - trying a vacation processing method.

I have a procmail recipe which is called by Exim. So far the recipe works
to the extent that it puts in the home directory of a user a file called
.vacation.msg with the correct permissions.
The recipe is also capable of deleting the .vacation.msg file.

The next step is to have director which will utilize the existence of this
file (.vacation.msg) to send out vacation messages when a user is away.
This file is mode 0600 owned by the correct UID:GID of the user in
question.

I've tested but still haven't succeeded on getting a vacation message
being sent out.

I could do with some help from the list by way of pointing out what I am
overlooking/blundering on.


My expectation:

1.) Ordinarily there is no .vacation message so messages get delivered
    normally.

2.) If a .vacation.msg exists then call the vacation program.

3.) I was referring the the FAQs that outline how to do vacation
    processing without a .forward file.
4.) That any client will should be able to send an e-mail to themselves
    with a subject of vacation o(ff|n) to turn OFF/ON the vacation. This
    already works to the extent that the subject is able to create/remove
    the file.

Thanking you in advance.


Here are portions of my configure file that I use:

######################################################################
#                      TRANSPORTS CONFIGURATION                      #
######################################################################

# Allow Procmail to be used for local deliveries

procmail_pipe:     
  driver = pipe     
  command = "/usr/local/bin/procmail -d $local_part"
  return_path_add
  delivery_date_add
  envelope_to_add
  freeze_exec_fail = false
  log_defer_output = false
  log_fail_output = true
  log_output = false
# return_fail_output = false
  return_fail_output = true
  return_output = false
# check_string = "From "
# escape_string = ">From "
  user = $local_part
# group = mail
  umask = 0022

vacation_transport:
driver = pipe
command = "/usr/bin/vacation \"$local_part\""

######################################################################
#                      DIRECTORS CONFIGURATION                       #
#             Specifies how local addresses are handled              #
######################################################################

# Since order matters, let us process e-mail using Procmail first so that
# we can have our .vacation.msg

procmail:
    driver = localuser
    transport = procmail_pipe
#   require_files = "/usr/local/etc/procmailrc"

# Let's now process the vacation replies if the file .vacation.msg exists -
# see the corresponding transport

vacation:
    driver = localuser
    transport = vacation_transport
    require_files = .vacation.msg # I've also tried /home/$local_part/.vacation.msg
    unseen

# This director matches local user mailboxes.

localuser:
driver = localuser
transport = local_delivery


-Wash

--
Odhiambo Washington
Wananchi Online Ltd.,
wash@??? 1st Flr Loita Hse.
Tel: 254 2 313985 Loita Street.,
Fax: 254 2 313922 PO Box 10286,00100-NAIROBI,KE.

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-English Proverb