Question

Hi all,

I've been tearing out my hair on this problem and would greatly appreciate help!

During user registration the Net::SMTP constructor from line 297 in TWiki::Net fails to create a valid Net::SMTP object.

• Net::SMTP instantiates and works just fine in a standalone-script (shown below)
• sudo 'ing the test script as the appropriate user shows that it's not a privilege problem
• @INC shows a path where Net::SMTP exists (tested through debug-printing in TWiki::Net)
• $this->{HELLO_HOST} and $this->{MAIL_HOST} are configured (via the configure script) to the same values as the test script (tested through debug-printing in TWiki::Net)

Any ideas as to what may be causing Net::SMTP to not instantiate?

Thanks in advance!

- m.

p.s. Machine names and e-mails have been changed to protect the not-so-guilty. More information is available on request.

TWiki::Net (lines 293-310)

293    return undef unless( scalar @to );
294
295    my $smtp = 0;
296    if( $this->{HELLO_HOST} ) {
297        $smtp = Net::SMTP->new( $this->{MAIL_HOST},
298                                Hello => $this->{HELLO_HOST},
299                                Debug => $TWiki::cfg{SMTP}{Debug} || 0 );
300    } else {
301        $smtp = Net::SMTP->new( $this->{MAIL_HOST},
302                                Debug => $TWiki::cfg{SMTP}{Debug} || 0 );
303    }
304    my $status = '';
305    my $mess = "ERROR: Can't send mail using Net::SMTP. ";
306    die $mess."Can't connect to '$this->{MAIL_HOST}'" unless $smtp;
307
308    if( $TWiki::cfg{SMTP}{Username} ) {
309        $smtp->auth($TWiki::cfg{SMTP}{Username}, $TWiki::cfg{SMTP}{Password});
310    }

The Error

ERROR: Can't send mail using Net::SMTP. Can't connect to 'myhost.sfsu.edu' at /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/CGI/Carp.pm line 314. at /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/CGI/Carp.pm line 314

CGI::Carp::realdie('ERROR
    Can\'t send mail using Net::SMTP. Can\'t connect to \'...') called at /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/CGI/Carp.pm line 385 
CGI::Carp::die('ERROR
    Can\'t send mail using Net::SMTP. Can\'t connect to \'...') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/Net.pm line 306 
    TWiki::Net::_sendEmailByNetSMTP('TWiki::Net=HASH(0x890bf34)', 'Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2006 03:59:24 GMT\x{a}From: Mike Wong \x{a}To: NewUser?...') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI/Register.pm line 1142 
    TWiki::UI::Register::_sendEmail('TWiki=HASH(0x82eae18)', 'registerconfirm', 'HASH(0x8c3fdb8)') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI/Register.pm line 428 
    TWiki::UI::Register::_requireVerification('TWiki=HASH(0x82eae18)', '/var/www/twiki/data/RegistrationApprovals') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI/Register.pm line 375 
    TWiki::UI::Register::registerAndNext('TWiki=HASH(0x82eae18)', '/var/www/twiki/data/RegistrationApprovals') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI/Register.pm line 90 
    TWiki::UI::Register::register_cgi('TWiki=HASH(0x82eae18)') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI.pm line 109 
    TWiki::UI::__ANON__() called at /var/www/twiki/lib/CPAN/lib///Error.pm line 379 
    eval {...} called at /var/www/twiki/lib/CPAN/lib///Error.pm line 371 
    Error::subs::try('CODE(0x82672cc)', 'HASH(0x8c3fb48)') called at /var/www/twiki/lib/TWiki/UI.pm line 158 
    TWiki::UI::run('CODE(0x88bbcb4)'
) called 

Standalone Test program (which works)

use Net::SMTP;

my $sender = "myhost.sfsu.edu";
my $host   = "myhost.sfsu.edu";
my $user   = 'mymail@sfsu.edu';

my $smtp = new Net::SMTP( 
	$host,
	Hello => $sender,
	Debug => 0
);

die "Can't connect to '$host'" unless $smtp;

$smtp->mail( $user );
$smtp->to( $user);
$smtp->data( "This is a test: SMTP host=$host, hello=$sender" );
$smtp->dataend();
$smtp->quit();

Environment

-- MikeWong - 03 Oct 2006

Answer

If you answer a question - or someone answered one of your questions - please remember to edit the page and set the status to answered. The status selector is below the edit box.

You need to share the salient details of your configuration. It's probably that which is at fault.

-- CrawfordCurrie - 11 Oct 2006

Sorry, closing after more than 30 days...

-- PeterThoeny - 28 Nov 2006

Hi all, sorry for not following up, but the problem was my own ignorance: my sendmail configuration was (correctly) set to accept only "localhost", using this as the sender address works. I still don't know why the standalone script works but now my TWiki configuration sends mail and I don't have time to pursue the issue.

Thanks for all your patience, and I hope this information helps someone.

-- MikeWong - 09 Feb 2007