Very Computer

Can someone please explain the basic steps of configuring my
RH Linux box (7.2) to send and receive email using sendmail
8.11?  I've tried following several docs, and none of them address
my particular situation.  I'm using a Linksys Etherfast router, and
 can't get this setup to work correctly.  How do I get this to work
with a Comcast cable modem, assuming the following values
(which have been altered):

67.160.200.153 - WAN IP address = cc2253263-a.bhaven1.pa.home.com
192.168.1.1     - Linksys router
192.168.1.2     - Linux box trying to run sendmail

Other info----
    Subnet Mask:             255.255.255.128
    Default Gateway Address: 67.160.257.104
    DNS 1:                   26.18.63.122
    DNS 2:                   26.18.63.133

-Thanks!!!

Unless you're trying to run a mail server, you ought to use your
ISP's mail server. In which case, sendmail just "runs".  If you kept the
default RH setup, you're okay.

You can to use fetchmail, setting up .fetchmailrc to point to your
mailserver, along with your username and password on the mailserver.
That will transfer your mail to the local mail spool.  Since you're
originating the connection from inside your firewall, you shouldn't have
to do anything to your firewall, since most are set up to
prevent connections from the outside world.  But if you were running a
mail server, you'd have to accept SMTP connections to your server.)

Then you can access it with pine (which I use), or many another MUA (mail
user agent).

(An alternative is to do your mail via netscape, which then performs the
mail transfer function.)

--
Dave Brown  Austin, TX

If you are manually modifying the .cf file, then you will first need to
enable sendmail to listen to all IP addresses (instead of listening to
just 127.0.0.1).  This is the inherent way Red Hat installs sendmail to
prevent casual users from allowing an open relay for propagating spam.

You will find a line like:

O DaemonPortOptions=Port=smtp,Addr=127.0.0.1, Name=MTA

You need to have it say something like:

O DaemonPortOptions=Name=MTA

This will allow connections from your local system.  Unfortunately, this
also allows people from the outside to use your server as a mail relay.
  Configure your firewall to block incoming requests to port 25 from
outside your local network.

That's step 1.

Secondly, since you are using a cable modem, you're probably on the list
of dial-up users - about 90% of all MTAs (mail servers) will reject your
email.  This is to prevent spam people from getting a broadband
connection and immediately start sending their wonders out and about to
people like you and I.

So, to allow your sendmail to send out to the rest of the world, you'll
have to define a "Smart Host", which is actual your ISP's SMTP server.
You will use sendmail to distribute mail from your system - sendmail
will in turn hand it off to the Smart Host, and the Smart Host will send
the message to the rest of the world (since it's a legitimate MTA).
--

Software Developer, Engineering Services
Red Hat, Inc.

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-> When you have an efficient government, you have a dictatorship.
-> - Harry S. Truman

Black Sun and said:

Quote:> Can someone please explain the basic steps of configuring my
> RH Linux box (7.2) to send and receive email using sendmail
> 8.11?  

Use postfix instead.  *Much* easier to configure.  Not quite as
scalable or flexible, but the configuration file is actually readable by
a mere mortal.  You probably don't need the features of sendmail.  If
you do, then go ahead, but remember that sendmail.cf was created by
someone bashing their head on the keyboard for ~30 minutes.

unless you've purchased "business class" junk, right?  Also, they're
blocking outgoing packets on port 25 that don't have as a destination
the mail server they told you to use.  (This is to prevent cretin
spammers from abusing service; spammers with IQs higher than pond scum
get around it pretty easily.)  This means you have to set your
"smarthost" or "relayhost" parameter to the official mail server's name,
probably something like "mail.wherever.home.com".

Quote:> I'm using a Linksys Etherfast router, and can't get this setup to work
> correctly.  How do I get this to work with a Comcast cable modem,
> assuming the following values (which have been altered):

> 67.160.200.153 - WAN IP address = cc2253263-a.bhaven1.pa.home.com
> 192.168.1.1        - Linksys router
> 192.168.1.2        - Linux box trying to run sendmail

Have the router forward packets with destination port 25 directly to
192.168.1.2 ?  You'll have to do that yourself; I don't know how to
configure your router.

--
Matt G|There is no Darkness in Eternity/But only Light too dim for us to see
Brainbench MVP for Linux Admin /
http://www.brainbench.com     /  "He is a rhythmic movement of the
-----------------------------/    penguins, is Tux." --MegaHAL