Postix won't start...

I'm getting this error in my smtp log (and I can't send mail), also messages in the Mail Queue can't be delivered.

Dec 23 13:30:20 xserve postfix/postfix-script[1033]: fatal: the Postfix mail system is not running

Intel iMac, Intel Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Dec 23, 2007 4:36 AM

Reply
7 replies

Dec 24, 2007 9:11 AM in response to Wisa

I've had some errors (it couldn't find the dynamic domains db), but it was resolved and didn't show up again.

Here's my output:

command_directory = /usr/sbin
config_directory = /etc/postfix
content_filter =
daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix
debug peerlevel = 2
enable serveroptions = yes
html_directory = no
inet_interfaces = all
mail_owner = _postfix
mailbox sizelimit = 0
mailbox_transport = cyrus
mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq
manpage_directory = /usr/share/man
maps rbldomains =
message sizelimit = 20971520
mydestination = $myhostname,localhost.$mydomain,localhost
mydomain = alexanderweiss.nl
mydomain_fallback = localhost
myhostname = alexanderweiss.nl
mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8
newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases
queue_directory = /private/var/spool/postfix
readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix
relayhost =
sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/examples
sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail
setgid_group = _postdrop
smtpd clientrestrictions = permit_mynetworks reject rblclient zen.spamhaus.org permit
smtpd enforcetls = no
smtpd pw_server_securityoptions = login,plain,cram-md5
smtpd recipientrestrictions = permit sasl_authenticated,permit_mynetworks,reject_unauthdestination,permit
smtpd sasl_authenable = yes
smtpd tls_certfile = /etc/certificates/Weba Hats Certificate.crt
smtpd tls_keyfile = /etc/certificates/Weba Hats Certificate.key
smtpd use_pwserver = yes
smtpd usetls = yes
unknown local_recipient_rejectcode = 550
virtual mailboxdomains = hash:/etc/postfix/virtual_domains
virtual_transport = lmtp:unix:/var/imap/socket/lmtp

Dec 30, 2007 9:37 AM in response to pterobyte

Sorry, I said dynamic domains, but it has to be virtual domains.

Here's my log (debug):

Dec 30 18:35:42 xserve postfix/master[459]: terminating on signal 15
Dec 30 18:35:42 xserve postfix/postfix-script[474]: fatal: the Postfix mail system is not running
Dec 30 18:35:53 xserve postfix/postfix-script[531]: fatal: the Postfix mail system is not running
Dec 30 18:35:56 xserve postfix/master[576]: daemon started -- version 2.4.3, configuration /etc/postfix

I first turned the service of and then on again.

Dec 31, 2007 11:16 AM in response to pterobyte

Here's my log when trying to send emails...

Dec 31 19:12:54 xserve postfix/qmgr[12348]: 5B9A315BF6D: from=<wisa@webahats.nl>, size=586, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Dec 31 19:12:54 xserve postfix/lmtp[12350]: 5B9A315BF6D: to=<wisa@webahats.nl>, relay=mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp], delay=2282, delays=2282/0.03/0.06/0.11, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (host mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp] said: 451 4.3.0 System I/O error (in reply to end of DATA command))
Dec 31 19:22:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12398]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 19:22:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix
Dec 31 19:32:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12447]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 19:32:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix
Dec 31 19:42:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12499]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 19:42:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix
Dec 31 19:47:54 xserve postfix/qmgr[12504]: 8EA9B15BEB4: from=<ik@alexanderweiss.nl>, size=481, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Dec 31 19:47:54 xserve postfix/lmtp[12526]: 8EA9B15BEB4: to=<wisa@webahats.nl>, relay=mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp], delay=4790, delays=4790/0.05/0.08/0.11, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (host mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp] said: 451 4.3.0 System I/O error (in reply to end of DATA command))
Dec 31 19:52:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12554]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 19:52:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix
Dec 31 19:52:54 xserve postfix/qmgr[12559]: 5B9A315BF6D: from=<wisa@webahats.nl>, size=586, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Dec 31 19:52:54 xserve postfix/lmtp[12561]: 5B9A315BF6D: to=<wisa@webahats.nl>, relay=mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp], delay=4682, delays=4682/0.02/0.08/0.11, dsn=4.3.0, status=deferred (host mail.alexanderweiss.nl[/var/imap/socket/lmtp] said: 451 4.3.0 System I/O error (in reply to end of DATA command))
Dec 31 20:02:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12614]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 20:02:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix
Dec 31 20:12:54 xserve postfix/postfix-script[12692]: refreshing the Postfix mail system
Dec 31 20:12:54 xserve postfix/master[11460]: reload configuration /etc/postfix

Dec 31, 2007 2:07 PM in response to Wisa

Admittedly, I haven't dealt much with setting up virtual domains much but I do believe there are some problems with your initial configuration.

I believe the following lines should look like this (assuming that the fully qualified domain name of your mail server is mail.alexanderweiss.nl):

mydestination = $myhostname,localhost.$mydomain,$mydomain,localhost
myhostname = mail.alexanderweiss.nl

This page - http://www.postfix.org/basic.html - goes into more specifics about these parameters.

The other curious thing about your configuration is that your mynetworks parameter is set to 127.0.0.0/8. Do you only use webmail and/or do you only permit sasl authenticated smtp? If you want to enable a client machine to send mail through the mail server, then you'll have to include the LAN information in that setting (unless you require sasl all the time).

I don't know if these suggestions will solve your current problem, but they certainly can't hurt to implement. If you're going to edit /etc/postfix/main.cf by hand, then I suggest you make a copy of the current main.cf in case you need to easily roll back should there be issues after editing.

Hope that helps.
-Brian

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