[FreeBSD][Newb] How I use sendmail to send mail?

[Doug Hardie]

On Jun 10, 2007, at 21:25, Bjorn Boulder wrote:

> Doug, Mats
>
> Your advice is on the money; thanks.
>
> I see this:
>
> Jun 10 05:43:40 jake sendmail[15068]: l5AAhekD015068:
> to=bornboulder77 at yahoo.com, ctladdr=oracle
> (1004/1005),
> delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=relay,
> pri=30062,
> relay=[127.0.0.1] [127.0.0.1], dsn=4.0.0,
> stat=Deferred: Connection
> refused by [127.0.0.1]
>
> Your tip along with that given by Mats suggests that
> I need to learn about /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
>
> It appears that the box cannot send mail to itself:
>
> Jun 10 03:05:44 jake sendmail[14546]: l5A84ObZ014546:
> to=postmaster,
> delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=relay,
> pri=154501,
> relay=[127.0.0.1], dsn=4.0.0, stat=Deferred:
> Connection refused by
> [127.0.0.1]
>
> Jun 10 03:05:44 jake sendmail[14546]: l5485I55093939:
> to=root,
> ctladdr=root (0/0), delay=6+00:00:26, xdelay=00:00:00,
> mailer=relay,
> pri=691450, relay=[127.0.0.1], dsn=4.0.0,
> stat=Deferred: Connection
> refused by [127.0.0.1]
>
> Jun 10 03:05:44 jake sendmail[14546]: l5485I55093939:
> l5A84Oba014546:
> sender notify: Cannot send message for 5 days
>
> Jun 10 03:05:44 jake sendmail[14546]: l5A84Oba014546:
> to=root,
> delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=relay,
> pri=152806,
> relay=[127.0.0.1], dsn=4.0.0, stat=Deferred:
> Connection refused by
> [127.0.0.1]
>
> Currently, my main assumption is that
> /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
> is the primary administrative interface for e-mail.

That is correct, but you don't want to directly mess with  
sendmail.cf.  You really want to use the mc file and then make to  
build the cf file.  Its much easier and more readable.  See /usr/ 
share/sendmail/cf/readme for more details.  The cf files are in  
another directory from there named cf.

You will also want to use
            sendmail -bv email-address
to have sendmail show you how and where it will deliver for the  
address:  email-address.  That is a useful tool.