Re: Test email errors

George King <[email protected]> Fri, 5 Jun 2026 15:43:50 +0100
Newsgroups gmane.comp.sysutils.backup.backuppc.general
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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I've potentially made some progress.=C2=A0 It seems that sendmail had never=
=20
been installed so that has been done now.=C2=A0 It's running as a service=20
fine but reporting various errors about unqualified host names.=C2=A0 I don=
't=20
suppose this is really surprising because I haven't configured sendmail.

Running the test message command under su backuppc now completes without=20
flagging any errors.=C2=A0 Unfortunately, though, the email doesn't get sen=
t=20
and the mail is returned reporting authentication failures.=C2=A0 e.g.

    ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<|[email protected]|>
     (reason: 550 Authentication is required for relay)

    ----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mail5.hostinguk.net.:
>>> AUTH dialogue
<<< 535 Authentication failed
>>> MAIL From:<|[email protected]|> SIZE=3D527
<<< 550 Authentication is required for relay
554 5.0.0 Service unavailable

Again, this may be because I haven't configured sendmail.=C2=A0 But I have=20
configured msmtp and it works correctly from my normal user account.=C2=A0=20
Running an msmtp command under su backuppc=C2=A0 results in the error
msmtp: account backuppc not found: no configuration file available
even though there is under /home/backuppc/=C2=A0 =C2=A0(as per Mike Hughes=20
suggestion a couple of days ago).
It seems as if the backuppc user is missing and/or not able to read the=20
config files, but I can't see how to fix.


On 04/06/2026 21:24, George King wrote:
> Thanks Ged,
>
> I haven't set=C2=A0$Conf{SendmailArgs} in config.pl.=C2=A0 What would I s=
et it=20
> to?=C2=A0 Apologies, this is getting quite specialised for me.
>
> I'm wondering if your environment variable point might be the cause of=20
> the issue.=C2=A0 Running the msmtp version of your suggested sendmail=20
> command under su backuppc
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0cat test.email | msmtp -a backuppc [email protected]
>
> results in this error message
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0cat: test.email: Permission denied
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0msmtp: account backuppc not found: no configuration file ava=
ilable
>
> So it's maybe some problem with the backuppc user's ability to access=20
> the config files which are currently sitting in these places
>
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /etc/msmtprc=C2=A0 (system settings)
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /home/george/.msmtprc=C2=A0 (user settings - works)
> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /home/backuppc/.msmtprc=C2=A0 =C2=A0(user settings -=
 fails)
>
> What would the PATH changes need to be to allow backuppc user to see=20
> the config file?
>
> regards
>
> George
>
>
> On 04/06/2026 16:16, G.W. Haywood wrote:
>> Hi there,
>>
>> On Wed, 3 Jun 2026, George King wrote:
>>
>>> ... I've installed msmtp as the MTA ... works fine when I'm sending
>>> it from my normal account.=C2=A0 It picks up details from the system
>>> config file /etc/msmtprc and my user config file in ~/.msmtprc.
>>> ...
>>> ... when I do
>>>
>>> |su backuppc /usr/share/backuppc/bin/BackupPC_sendEmail -u
>>> MY...@MY... <mailto:MY...@MY...>|
>>>
>>> as per the documentation, and substituting my email address, I get the
>>> error
>>>
>>> Sending test email using /usr/sbin/sendmail -t -f backuppc
>>> sendmail: account default not found: no configuration file available
>>> ...
>>> ... suggestions would be welcomed.
>>
>> It looks like you aren't fabricating the right invocation of a command
>> for msmtp.=C2=A0 Did you set $Conf{SendmailArgs}?=C2=A0 Being an old Sen=
dmail
>> diehard I've never used msmtp, so I ask not because I know anything
>> about it, but because msmtp is given as an example in the docs. :)
>>
>> http://.../BackupPC_Admin?action=3Dview&type=3Ddocs#_conf_sendmailargs_
>>
>> If you look at the very last sub in the BackupPC_sendEmail Perl script
>> you'll see that all it's doing is running a command which you can run
>> yourself at the terminal.=C2=A0 Something along the lines of
>>
>> $ cat messagefile | sendmail -t user -f backuppc
>>
>> should do the trick.=C2=A0 Bear in mind that environment variables might=
 not
>> be the same for user you and user backuppc.=C2=A0 PATH for example might=
 be
>> finding a different binary to run if you run a command when logged in
>> as you and exactly the same command when logged in as user backuppc.
>>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> BackupPC-users mailing list
> [email protected]
> List: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
> Wiki: https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki
> Project: https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/=

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    <p>I've potentially made some progress.=C2=A0 It seems that sendmail ha=
d
      never been installed so that has been done now.=C2=A0 It's running as=
 a
      service fine but reporting various errors about unqualified host
      names.=C2=A0 I don't suppose this is really surprising because I
      haven't configured sendmail.=C2=A0=C2=A0</p>
    <p>Running the test message command under su backuppc now completes
      without flagging any errors.=C2=A0 Unfortunately, though, the email
      doesn't get sent and the mail is returned reporting authentication
      failures.=C2=A0 e.g.<br>
    </p>
    <pre>   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
&lt;<code><a class=3D"moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href=3D"mailto:RECIPIENT@MY=
DOMAIN.COM">[email protected]</a></code>&gt;
    (reason: 550 Authentication is required for relay)

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mail5.hostinguk.net.:
&gt;&gt;&gt; AUTH dialogue
&lt;&lt;&lt; 535 Authentication failed
&gt;&gt;&gt; MAIL From:&lt;<code><a class=3D"moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href=
=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></code>&gt; SIZE=3D5=
27
&lt;&lt;&lt; 550 Authentication is required for relay
554 5.0.0 Service unavailable</pre>
    <p>Again, this may be because I haven't configured sendmail.=C2=A0 But =
I
      have configured msmtp and it works correctly from my normal user
      account.=C2=A0 Running an msmtp command under su backuppc=C2=A0 resul=
ts in
      the error=C2=A0<br>
      msmtp: account backuppc not found: no configuration file available<br=
>
      even though there is under /home/backuppc/=C2=A0 =C2=A0(as per Mike H=
ughes
      suggestion a couple of days ago).=C2=A0=C2=A0<br>
      It seems as if the backuppc user is missing and/or not able to
      read the config files, but I can't see how to fix.<br>
      <br>
      <br>
    </p>
    <div class=3D"moz-cite-prefix">On 04/06/2026 21:24, George King wrote:<=
br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type=3D"cite"
      cite=3D"mid:[email protected]">T=
hanks
      Ged,
      <br>
      <br>
      I haven't set=C2=A0$Conf{SendmailArgs} in config.pl.=C2=A0 What would=
 I set
      it to?=C2=A0 Apologies, this is getting quite specialised for me.
      <br>
      <br>
      I'm wondering if your environment variable point might be the
      cause of the issue.=C2=A0 Running the msmtp version of your suggested
      sendmail command under su backuppc
      <br>
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0cat test.email | msmtp -a backuppc <a class=3D"moz-txt-l=
ink-abbreviated" href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a=
>
      <br>
      <br>
      results in this error message
      <br>
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0cat: test.email: Permission denied
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0msmtp: account backuppc not found: no configuration file
      available
      <br>
      <br>
      So it's maybe some problem with the backuppc user's ability to
      access the config files which are currently sitting in these
      places
      <br>
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /etc/msmtprc=C2=A0 (system settings)
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /home/george/.msmtprc=C2=A0 (user settings - wor=
ks)
      <br>
      =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 /home/backuppc/.msmtprc=C2=A0 =C2=A0(user settin=
gs - fails)
      <br>
      <br>
      What would the PATH changes need to be to allow backuppc user to
      see the config file?
      <br>
      <br>
      regards
      <br>
      <br>
      George
      <br>
      <br>
      <br>
      On 04/06/2026 16:16, G.W. Haywood wrote:
      <br>
      <blockquote type=3D"cite">Hi there,
        <br>
        <br>
        On Wed, 3 Jun 2026, George King wrote:
        <br>
        <br>
        <blockquote type=3D"cite">... I've installed msmtp as the MTA ...
          works fine when I'm sending
          <br>
          it from my normal account.=C2=A0 It picks up details from the
          system
          <br>
          config file /etc/msmtprc and my user config file in
          ~/.msmtprc.
          <br>
          ...
          <br>
          ... when I do
          <br>
          <br>
          |su backuppc /usr/share/backuppc/bin/BackupPC_sendEmail -u
          <br>
          MY...@MY... <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href=3D"mailto:MY.=
..@MY...">&lt;mailto:MY...@MY...&gt;</a>|
          <br>
          <br>
          as per the documentation, and substituting my email address, I
          get the
          <br>
          error
          <br>
          <br>
          Sending test email using /usr/sbin/sendmail -t -f backuppc
          <br>
          sendmail: account default not found: no configuration file
          available
          <br>
          ...
          <br>
          ... suggestions would be welcomed.
          <br>
        </blockquote>
        <br>
        It looks like you aren't fabricating the right invocation of a
        command
        <br>
        for msmtp.=C2=A0 Did you set $Conf{SendmailArgs}?=C2=A0 Being an ol=
d
        Sendmail
        <br>
        diehard I've never used msmtp, so I ask not because I know
        anything
        <br>
        about it, but because msmtp is given as an example in the docs.
        :)
        <br>
        <br>
<a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"http://.../BackupPC_Admin?action=
=3Dview&amp;type=3Ddocs#_conf_sendmailargs_">http://.../BackupPC_Admin?acti=
on=3Dview&amp;type=3Ddocs#_conf_sendmailargs_</a>
        <br>
        <br>
        If you look at the very last sub in the BackupPC_sendEmail Perl
        script
        <br>
        you'll see that all it's doing is running a command which you
        can run
        <br>
        yourself at the terminal.=C2=A0 Something along the lines of
        <br>
        <br>
        $ cat messagefile | sendmail -t user -f backuppc
        <br>
        <br>
        should do the trick.=C2=A0 Bear in mind that environment variables
        might not
        <br>
        be the same for user you and user backuppc.=C2=A0 PATH for example
        might be
        <br>
        finding a different binary to run if you run a command when
        logged in
        <br>
        as you and exactly the same command when logged in as user
        backuppc.
        <br>
        <br>
      </blockquote>
      <br>
      <br>
      <br>
      _______________________________________________
      <br>
      BackupPC-users mailing list
      <br>
      <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href=3D"mailto:BackupPC-users@l=
ists.sourceforge.net">[email protected]</a>
      <br>
      List:=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0
      <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://lists.sourceforge.=
net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users">https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/list=
info/backuppc-users</a>
      <br>
      Wiki:=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"ht=
tps://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki">https://github.com/backuppc/backup=
pc/wiki</a>
      <br>
      Project: <a class=3D"moz-txt-link-freetext" href=3D"https://backuppc.=
github.io/backuppc/">https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/</a>
      <br>
    </blockquote>
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_______________________________________________
BackupPC-users mailing list
[email protected]
List:    https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/backuppc-users
Wiki:    https://github.com/backuppc/backuppc/wiki
Project: https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/

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