1

I'm using a pre-configured virtual server for sending emails. Currently, I'm responsible for it running well. One recipient refused my email and I was pointed to a page explaining it. But to me it explains nothing at all:

abcde1234 rejected a message that claimed an envelope sender address of [email protected].
abcde1234 received a message from 1.2.3.4 that claimed an envelope sender address of [email protected].
However, the domain cgc-instruments.com has declared using SPF that it does not send mail through 1.2.3.4. That is why the message was rejected.

In the above I replaced abcde1234 and 1.2.3.4 for the real values.

So my server has declared... maybe it has, how do I find it out without knowing anything about the system? By running ps I've learned that there's qmail running. Why are there no config files in /etc? I've found them in /var/qmail/control, but there's nothing like the above there. Or is it?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3

Not an Ubuntu question, really, but...

SPF is the Sender Policy Framework. Using DNS, an "SPF record" (a TXT record) declares which SMTP servers are allowed to send mail from your domain. Therefore, you must modify the DNS records for cgc-instruments.de to include an SPF record for the SMTP server, "pre-configured virtual server ."

nslookup
>set q=any
>cgc-instruments.de

The result:

cgc-instruments.de
    origin = lvps83-169-21-132.dedicated.hosteurope.de
    mail addr = ivo\.cermak.cgc-instruments.com
    serial = 1262369762
    refresh = 10800
    retry = 3600
    expire = 604800
    minimum = 10800
cgc-instruments.de  nameserver = ns2.hans.hosteurope.de.
cgc-instruments.de  nameserver = lvps83-169-21-132.dedicated.hosteurope.de.
cgc-instruments.de  text = "v=spf1 +a +mx -all"
cgc-instruments.de  mail exchanger = 10 mail.cgc-instruments.de.
Name:   cgc-instruments.de
Address: 83.169.21.132

You can see the SPF record, version one: 'v=spf1 [...]'

Also I have never seen a backslash in a domain name... see this in mail addr? Is that right? It does not look right to me.

Improve this answer
3
  • Thanks... I've learned a lot. Concerning the email... there's a backslash and no at-sign, but who needs it except for spammers? There are multiple users sending emails from the server, so it makes no sense anyway. The server which refused the email points me to a page advicing me to enter some french server (like a:1.2.3.4. in my above example) there, which I've never ever heart about. Did you mean I should do something like "spf1 +a +mx a:cgc-instruments.de -all"?
    – maaartinus
    Dec 14, 2011 at 23:10
  • Oh! I see on the backslash. Duh! And thanks! And yes on specifying the mail server(s) in the SPF record.
    – user8290
    Dec 14, 2011 at 23:43
  • @maaartinus So do you accept this one?
    – user8290
    Dec 16, 2011 at 22:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .