How to enable group email accounts

Question

How to enable group email accounts

Hi all,

I have spent a while fiddling with (and breaking) my OSX Lion 10.7.4 Server install trying to get group emails working. I would just like to share how I did it.

Follow the below how to.

#!/bin/bash
# Group EMail Enabler v0.2
# Jeff Johnson <jdj@mac.com>
# Tested with OS X Server 10.6 and 10.7
# Should also work with 10.5
# This script allows you to manage email groups using Work Group Manager.
# If you create an executive group in WGM, you then have a executive@ email address
# This is automatically maintained as you adjust the members
# The script searches your LDAP groups for the word 'mail' in the comment field
# You must add mail to the comment field for any group which should have an email address.
# The email address for that group will be the shortname of that group.
# If you miss this step (add 'mail' to the comment field), this script does nothing.
# Known issues
# 1. Only supports groups in LDAP, users can be in LDAP or Local
# 2. Does not support other groups within your email group (no nested groups)
# 3. Almost no error checking, so best to run it manually a few times to check results.
# Installation Instructions
# 1. Save this file as
# /usr/sbin/group_email.sh
# 2. Then adjust permissions
# sudo chmod +x /usr/sbin/group_email.sh
# 3. Modifiy alias_maps in /etc/postfix/main.cf
# You need to add this line to what you already have
# hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases
# Example, you have:
# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases
# Change to:
# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases
# 4. To run automatically every 5 minutes, I prefer a simple addition to /etc/crontab
# you may need to create /etc/crontab if it doesn't exist
# Add the following to /etc/crontab
# */5 * * * * root /usr/sbin/group_email.sh >> /dev/null 2>&1
#
# If you followed these instructions, within 5 minutes you will see an alias file at
# /etc/postfix/groupaliases
# you can inspect the file to confirm the results.
cd /etc/postfix
# clear current aliases
echo "" > group_aliases.tmp
# Get list of groups with 'mail' in the comment field
gr=`dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -list /Groups Comment | grep mail | awk '{print $1}'`
for group in $gr
do
echo $group: `dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -read /Groups/$group dsAttrTypeNative:memberUid | cut -d : -f 3 | grep -v "No such key"` >> group_aliases.tmp
done
cmp -s group_aliases.tmp group_aliases > /dev/null
if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
echo different
cp group_aliases.tmp group_aliases
/usr/sbin/postalias /etc/postfix/group_aliases
/usr/bin/newaliases
else
echo same
fi
exit

The only additional thing I had to do with Lion Server 10.7.4 was add hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases to the alias_maps AND alias_database in /etc/postfix/main.cf then run "newaliases" and "postfix reload"

Hopefully this helps the next person to get it all running quicker than I did 🙂

Cheers

Ryan

Xserve, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Aug 20, 2012 12:19 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Aug 22, 2012 4:08 AM in response to Getting Technical

Hi, I'm trying to get this working as well - where did you get "newaliases" & "postfix reload" to run?

Cheers

Phil

Reply

Answer 2

Aug 22, 2012 4:11 AM in response to phil.stone

Hi Phil,

Just run it from the command line using terminal. Once you open terminal just simply type both thosse commands in. I would suggest newalias first then postfix reload 🙂

Cheers

Ryan

Reply

Answer 3

Aug 22, 2012 4:14 AM in response to Getting Technical

Cheers Ryan, I must have soemthing wrong as I'm just getting command not found.. When I try to run group_email.sh manually I'm getting these errors as well:

/usr/sbin/group_email.sh: line 1: {rtf1ansiansicpg1252cocoartf1187: command not found

/usr/sbin/group_email.sh: line 2: syntax error near unexpected token `}'

/usr/sbin/group_email.sh: line 2: `{\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;}'

Did you create the crontab file in /etc?

Reply

Answer 4

Aug 22, 2012 6:04 AM in response to phil.stone

Hi Phil,

You are running Lion Server? and you do have the mail server switched on yeah?

My /etc/crontab didn't exist so I just created it and add the command into it with nano. You are using the sudo command to do all of this yeah?

Can you post a copy of your script?

Cheers

Ryan 🙂

Reply

Answer 5

Aug 22, 2012 6:08 AM in response to Getting Technical

Hi Ryan, yeah 10.7.4 Lion Server - mail is swtiched on although we haven'y migrated to it yet (i do have the accounts setup though)

Script:

#!/bin/bash

# Group EMail Enabler v0.2

# Jeff Johnson <jdj@mac.com>

# Tested with OS X Server 10.6 and 10.7

# Should also work with 10.5

# This script allows you to manage email groups using Work Group Manager.

# If you create an executive group in WGM, you then have a executive@ email address

# This is automatically maintained as you adjust the members

# The script searches your LDAP groups for the word 'mail' in the comment field

# You must add mail to the comment field for any group which should have an email address.

# The email address for that group will be the shortname of that group.

# If you miss this step (add 'mail' to the comment field), this script does nothing.

# Known issues

# 1. Only supports groups in LDAP, users can be in LDAP or Local

# 2. Does not support other groups within your email group (no nested groups)

# 3. Almost no error checking, so best to run it manually a few times to check results.

# Installation Instructions

# 1. Save this file as

# /usr/sbin/group_email.sh

# 2. Then adjust permissions

# sudo chmod +x /usr/sbin/group_email.sh

# 3. Modifiy alias_maps in /etc/postfix/main.cf

# You need to add this line to what you already have

# hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases

# Example, you have:

# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases

# Change to:

# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases

# 4. To run automatically every 5 minutes, I prefer a simple addition to /etc/crontab

# you may need to create /etc/crontab if it doesn't exist

# Add the following to /etc/crontab

# */5 * * * * root /usr/sbin/group_email.sh >> /dev/null 2>&1

#

# If you followed these instructions, within 5 minutes you will see an alias file at

# /etc/postfix/groupaliases

# you can inspect the file to confirm the results.

cd /etc/postfix

# clear current aliases

echo "" > group_aliases.tmp

# Get list of groups with 'mail' in the comment field

gr=`dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -list /Groups Comment | grep mail | awk '{print $1}'`

for group in $gr

do

echo $group: `dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -read /Groups/$group dsAttrTypeNative:memberUid | cut -d : -f 3 | grep -v "No such key"` >> group_aliases.tmp

done

cmp -s group_aliases.tmp group_aliases > /dev/null

if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then

echo different

cp group_aliases.tmp group_aliases

/usr/sbin/postalias /etc/postfix/group_aliases

/usr/bin/newaliases

else

echo same

fi

exit

I've gone through it a few times and can't see any differences to the one you posted so am at a loss as to why its not working..

Thanks

Phil

Reply

Answer 6

Aug 22, 2012 6:08 AM in response to Getting Technical

Here is the script minus the line numbers just in case 🙂

#!/bin/bash

# Group EMail Enabler v0.2

# Jeff Johnson <jdj@mac.com>

# Tested with OS X Server 10.6 and 10.7

# Should also work with 10.5

# This script allows you to manage email groups using Work Group Manager.

# If you create an executive group in WGM, you then have a executive@ email address

# This is automatically maintained as you adjust the members

# The script searches your LDAP groups for the word 'mail' in the comment field

# You must add mail to the comment field for any group which should have an email address.

# The email address for that group will be the shortname of that group.

# If you miss this step (add 'mail' to the comment field), this script does nothing.

# Known issues

# 1. Only supports groups in LDAP, users can be in LDAP or Local

# 2. Does not support other groups within your email group (no nested groups)

# 3. Almost no error checking, so best to run it manually a few times to check results.

# Installation Instructions

# 1. Save this file as

# /usr/sbin/group_email.sh

# 2. Then adjust permissions

# sudo chmod +x /usr/sbin/group_email.sh

# 3. Modifiy alias_maps in /etc/postfix/main.cf

# You need to add this line to what you already have

# hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases

# Example, you have:

# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases

# Change to:

# alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/etc/postfix/group_aliases

# 4. To run automatically every 5 minutes, I prefer a simple addition to /etc/crontab

# you may need to create /etc/crontab if it doesn't exist

# Add the following to /etc/crontab

# */5 * * * * root /usr/sbin/group_email.sh >> /dev/null 2>&1

#

# If you followed these instructions, within 5 minutes you will see an alias file at

# /etc/postfix/groupaliases

# you can inspect the file to confirm the results.

cd /etc/postfix

# clear current aliases

echo "" > group_aliases.tmp

# Get list of groups with 'mail' in the comment field

gr=`dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -list /Groups Comment | grep mail | awk '{print $1}'`

for group in $gr

do

echo $group: `dscl /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1 -read /Groups/$group dsAttrTypeNative:memberUid | cut -d : -f 3 | grep -v "No such key"` >> group_aliases.tmp

done

cmp -s group_aliases.tmp group_aliases > /dev/null

if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then

echo different

cp group_aliases.tmp group_aliases

/usr/sbin/postalias /etc/postfix/group_aliases

/usr/bin/newaliases

else

echo same

fi

exit

Reply

Answer 7

Aug 22, 2012 6:36 AM in response to phil.stone

Hi Phil,

If its the newalias command and the postfix reload command that's not working though that has little to do with the script. I hate to state the obvious but your account or the account your doing this with is someone that has administration rights? you are doing all this through sudo? the mail service/postfix is actually running? try sending mail between users locally maybe just to check? A reboot could be in order? Just some thoughts. My mainporblem I had when I did this was the main.cf part and once I worked that out everything worked out of the box..

Reply

Answer 8

Aug 22, 2012 7:44 AM in response to Getting Technical

Thanks - defo using correct credentials - adminstrator account and using sudo. Will try a reboot tonight.

Just to rule out a stupid question - the commands for newalias and postfix reload - do they need to be run from a specific directory?

Reply

Answer 9

Aug 22, 2012 8:24 AM in response to phil.stone

Ok so managed to get the group_mail to run correctly, created the group_aliases.tmp with the correct data, however it broke the email completely..

If I removed the changes to main.cf and deleted the group_aliases.tmp then restarted the mail server the emails resumed.

These errors on the mail server log kept repeating:

Aug 22 16:18:02 <servername> dovecot[96989]: master: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=unknown 0)

Aug 22 16:18:02 <servername> dovecot[97010]: log: Warning: Killed with signal 15 (by pid=1 uid=0 code=unknown 0)

Reply

Answer 10

Mark23

Level 4

994 points

Aug 22, 2012 11:17 AM in response to phil.stone

I just use Mailman.

Since OS X Server it has to be installed seperately, but you can accept all messages from non-members if you like.

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