fatal: bind: private/smtp: Permission denied

A little update... After the last 4 hours trying to figue this out I'm really stumped now!

The only thing I could find was a dodgy queue_directory path from pre 10.8 migration from months ago (which appeared to be a valid path from / anyway, which is odd and must have been where it was working from until today). Also added local trusted subnet (*hidden* from below).

I've been over permissions manually, run postfix set_permissions, tried the link here:

http://blog.deversus.com/2012/07/fix-for-postfix-in-mac-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion/

Nothing seems to make a difference... Amongst other things, including exhausing searches of google / forums!

I have backups of main.cf from both /etc/postfix and /Lbrary/Server/Mail/Config/postfix doesn't seem to make a difference which I use as it seems that postfix is failing before any of that config makes any difference at all.

An updated postconf -n in case I'm missing something, which I obviously am!:

biff = no

command_directory = /usr/sbin

config_directory = /Library/Server/Mail/Config/postfix

daemon_directory = /usr/libexec/postfix

data_directory = /Library/Server/Mail/Data/mta

debug_peer_level = 2

debugger_command = PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin xxgdb $daemon_directory/$process_name $process_id & sleep 5

dovecot_destination_recipient_limit = 1

html_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/html

imap_submit_cred_file = /Library/Server/Mail/Config/postfix/submit.cred

inet_interfaces = all

inet_protocols = all

mail_owner = _postfix

mailbox_size_limit = 0

mailq_path = /usr/bin/mailq

manpage_directory = /usr/share/man

message_size_limit = 10485760

mydomain_fallback = localhost

mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8, 192.168.*hidden*.0/24

newaliases_path = /usr/bin/newaliases

queue_directory = /Library/Server/Mail/Data/spool

readme_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix

recipient_delimiter = +

sample_directory = /usr/share/doc/postfix/examples

sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail

setgid_group = _postdrop

smtpd_client_restrictions = permit_mynetworks permit_sasl_authenticated permit

smtpd_tls_ciphers = medium

smtpd_tls_exclude_ciphers = SSLv2, aNULL, ADH, eNULL

tls_random_source = dev:/dev/urandom

unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 550

use_sacl_cache = yes

Thanks for the reply, that seems to be the first message, I have SMTP set to debug.

Feb 6 08:27:11 mail.*.com postfix/master[7241]: fatal: bind: private/smtp: Permission denied

Feb 6 08:27:12 mail com.apple.launchd[1] (org.postfix.master[7241]): Exited with code: 1

Feb 6 08:27:12 mail com.apple.launchd[1] (org.postfix.master): Throttling respawn: Will start in 9 seconds

Feb 6 08:27:21 mail.*.com postfix/master[7242]: fatal: bind: private/smtp: Permission denied

Feb 6 08:27:22 mail com.apple.launchd[1] (org.postfix.master[7242]): Exited with code: 1

Feb 6 08:27:22 mail com.apple.launchd[1] (org.postfix.master): Throttling respawn: Will start in 9 seconds

Thanks, Paul.

Thanks Linc, but all sort now.

Alex from Topicdesk provided a sterling service this morning and had us all back up and running within an hour!

Without time to properly diagnose what went wrong, it looks like some bad syntax in the main.cf input as a mistake, possibly even an invisible character that was preventing postfix from starting up.

Thankfully, I run a clone of the system nightly as so he was able to restore good working copies of the config files, get postfix up and running, confirm SSL/TLS config and make some nice little amendments to both postfix and dovecot configurations - all with great comms and effeciency!

Thanks,

Paul.