[exim] Easy way to Purge and re-install exim4? [Ubuntu 6.06]

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Author: Michael Kubler
Date:  
To: Exim-users
Subject: [exim] Easy way to Purge and re-install exim4? [Ubuntu 6.06]
Hi everyone,
Just subscribed to the list, and am going out of my mind trying to fix
my own stuff ups.

Short question : *How to I completely purge and re-install exim4 on
Ubuntu 6.06*?

-- _LONG essay version_ --
This is was mainly an exim4 config issue but is more of a general Linux
question now. Guess that's what I get for knowing enough to do damage,
but not enough to fit it.

I'd been successfully using exim4 for a little while on my Ubuntu 6.06
virtual linux box (openvz), which was running a mailman mailing list.
I was having issues with running a 2nd mailing list, as the emails
weren't being accepted.
Not sure if it was an issue with Mailman or Exim4 I started to play
around last night, double checking config's and trying minor changes and
restarting the program and trying again, eventually I gave up, but just
before I did, I uncommented something in the
/conf.d/main/02_exim4-config_options/ about a more verbose log file,
however didn't really think much about it (working on too many other
things at the time, and then went to bed).
I hadn't actually run update-exim4.conf and then restarted exim4, until
today after making a minor config change, and was suddenly getting :

> root@downpenguin :/etc/exim4# update-exim4.conf
> *chmod: invalid mode: `644\r'*
> Try `chmod --help' for more information.


The same *chmod: invalid mode: `644\r'* error appeared when trying to
run eximstats, eximstats, and "*/etc/init.d/exim4 restart"*

I went crazy, changing file permissions on the log files, the
configuration files, the autogenerated config file, and the
/usr/sbin/exim4 program. I even restarted the box (which is hosting
about 20 domains and a bunch of websites). Eventually I remembered about
the change I did about the logging, and corrected it, suddenly it started.

Now, it was accepting emails, but not processing them correctly, and the
php form2mailer script on one of the sites isn't working.
I went 'fuck it', and decided to remove exim4 and start again... I
copied the config files, and log files, and then ran :
> apt-get remove exim4

Except it did stuff all. It didn't stop the running exim4 process, it
didn't remove any config files, I can't actually see what it did.

I tried "/apt-get --purge exim4/", but get "*E: Invalid operation exim*"
I tried installing exim4 again, but it doesn't ask for any config
details, and says it's done but doesn't actually start it, or do anything.
I tried manually removing the config files, and then running
"dpkg-reconfigure exim4" but it just drops to the next line and doesn't
do anything.

I tried dpkg as below :
> root@downpenguin:/etc/exim4# dpkg --purge exim4
> (Reading database ... 22148 files and directories currently installed.)
> Removing exim4 ...


and then reinstalling, but still, nothing happens.
I just want it to remove and re-install exim4 so I can throw my config
files back and fingers crossed it'll work.

I'm sure this is a really stupid question or one that's probably already
been asked 5 times this year, but I couldn't find much searching the
archives or google... I'm sure I just need a pointer, if is amongst 20
million responses along the lines of 'you fail at Linux' or some such.

If you've managed to read this far, then Thank you.

Michael Kubler*
* <http://www.greyphoenix.biz>