Postfix woes

[Rem P Roberti]

On 2007.10.19 09:35:48 +0000, Paul Schmehl wrote:
> --On Thursday, October 18, 2007 22:46:51 -0700 Rem P Roberti 
> <rem at bsd.remdog.net> wrote:
> 
> >I did what you all requested and submitted my Postfix problem to the
> >Postfix list.  The resident guru went over my maillog and sent back his
> >analysis which, in short, states that the problem has nothing to do with
> >Postfix, and that I should seek help here to get to the bottom of it
> >all.  That reply is listed below.   This is a rather strange business.
> >
> OK.  FIrst of all, don't top post.  It makes it very hard to follow a 
> conversation.
> 
> When you install FreeBSD, you are the master of your own domain.  That 
> means you are completely responsible for everything running on your box.
> 
> When you install Postfix, it installs a startup script in 
> /usr/local/etc/rc.d.  In order to start postfix, you must either add 
> postfix_enable="YES" to /etc/rc.conf or start postfix manually.  If you 
> want postfix to start on reboot automatically, you *must* use the entry in 
> /etc/rc.conf.
> 
> There are no cron jobs or scheduled tasks installed to restart, reload, 
> stop or do anything else to postfix.  This means that you, or someone who 
> has access to your box, has set this up.  If you don't recall doing 
> anything, then you're going to have to start troubleshooting.
> 
> Places to look:
> 
> 1) su to root and type "crontab -l" to see if there's a cron job designed 
> to manipulate postfix, either directly or through a script.  If there is, 
> eliminate it.  It's not needed.
> 
> 2) Look in /etc/periodic to see if there's anything in there (although 
> that's highly unlikely).
> 
> 3) Examine the postfix startup script to  see if someone has altered it in 
> some way so that it includes a timer that starts and restarts Postfix
> 
> 3) Write a script that monitors processes and can detect when something is 
> launched at the same time frame that postfix is going up and down
> 
> 4) Get help from someone knowledgeable who has access to your box
> 
> 5) Did you install a program (like sysutils/monitord) that checks for 
> running processes and attempts to restart them if they're not running?
> 
> 6) Is there anything in root's mail that would tip you off to the cause of 
> the problem?
> 
> 7) Run postfix in debug mode.  Maybe that will help isolate the cause.


This is a follow-up.  My friend arrived back home and I explained the
problems that I was having.  He said, simple, remark out
postfix_enable="YES" in your rc.conf.  I did.  Problem solved.  Now I
have neither postfix_enable, or sendmail_enable in my rc.conf, and
everything boots without a hitch.  This, of course, flies in the face
of everything that I have heard or read about configuring this program.
When I asked what was starting the program if those entries were no
longer operating he said the shell script contained in rc.d.  

I need to give this a rest.

Rem
>