Empty AUTH=<> in SMTP from Mutt message causing refused mail

[Gary]

On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 01:08:15PM -0400 or thereabouts, Doug Lee wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 12:00:31PM -0500, Gary wrote:
> > On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 12:46:46PM -0400 or thereabouts, Doug Lee wrote:
> > > > > MAIL From:<dlee at bart.bartsite.com> AUTH=<>
> > > > > whereas mail generated from Pine or a Windows mailer looks like
> > > > > MAIL From:<dlee at bart.bartsite.com>
> > > > > In other words, the "AUTH=<>" only appears in Mutt-generated mail.
> >  
> > > > set sendmail = "/usr/sbin/sendmail -f "lee at bart.bartsite.com""
> >  
> > > No, and I just tried sending without a .muttrc file at all, and I got
> > > the same error back from the WebShielded site.
> > 
> > The above in your .muttrc file would set your envelope sender to the
> > above address.
> > 
> > last thought, do you have a from address in your .muttrc file? 
> > 
> > my_hdr From: Doug <lee at bart.bartsite.com>

> No, but as I said in my last message, I tested the whole .muttrc
> possibility just now by disabling (renaming) my .muttrc and running
> Mutt afresh without a .muttrc in effect at all.  Same error.

testing or disabling your .muttrc is absolutely meaningless to me since I
am not privy if the above lines are included in there to begin with, which
is why I suggested this first line approach to begin with.  Your lack of
info caused me to speculate. 
 
> By now I'm fairly sure this is related to my having started to set up
> SMTP authorization on both FreeBSD systems.  This doesn't explain,
> though, why only Mutt-generated mail is affected, particularly with no
> .muttrc in effect.  Pine mail sends out fine to this site.

this is the first time you mentioned that you have previously set up, or
attempted to set up SMTP auth. 
 
> So I see it as a three-pronged problem:  (1) WebShield refuses From:
> lines containing "AUTH=<>", and WebShield just went into effect at the
> destination site; (2) my SMTP installation probably sometimes sends
> the "AUTH=<>" line because I started configuring that a while back
> (months ago); and (3) Mutt and somehow ONLY Mutt triggers the sending
> of the "AUTH=<>" on From: lines.

why is your auth sending a null value? Webshield could be hanging on this,
yes, or I agree with you regarding the other 2 possibilities. 

> I hope to identify how (3) can be happening, then maybe if (2) can or
> should be fixed or if "AUTH=<>" is supposed to be legal SMTP syntax on
> a From: line, and finally whether the destination site is likely to be
> refusing much mail as a result of their WebShield installation.

To my knowledge, no, and I have never seen "Auth" included on the From:
line, it is on a separate line, and yes, something is broken. My
experience with sendmail ends here, as I have not used it in years, but
moved on to qmail. Sorry I could not have been more help. 

-- 
Gary