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    [SOLVED]Install a Relay Mail Host on pfSense (postfix)

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved pfSense Packages
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    • R
      rkelleyrtp
      last edited by

      Some questions:

      • What does, "ps aux" give you?

      • How are you trying to start postfix?

      • What does your postfix main.cf file have?

      • How are you trying to connect using telnet?  From the local machine or from a machine on your LAN?

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      • R
        rkelleyrtp
        last edited by

        @jimp:

        You do not need a full blown MTA installed to send out e-mail. That is just dangerous and unnecessary.

        Check out the code in 2.0 for sending e-mail notifications, it's a relatively small set of PHP code.

        Hey Jim,

        I searched high and low for a stripped-down MTA for pfSense 1.2.3-RELEASE and came up empty handed.  A few threads on the forum had some ideas but no one ever came up with a good solution (only suggestions).  This is why I installed Postfix.  Do you have a good suggestion for 1.2.3?

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        • jimpJ
          jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
          last edited by

          My suggestion is that you don't use an MTA on pfSense at all under any circumstances :-)

          If you want e-mail notifications, there are some PHP modules out there which can just send mail only, not receive.

          Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

          Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

          Do not Chat/PM for help!

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          • R
            rkelleyrtp
            last edited by

            @jimp:

            My suggestion is that you don't use an MTA on pfSense at all under any circumstances :-)

            If you want e-mail notifications, there are some PHP modules out there which can just send mail only, not receive.

            Cool, can you point me to such PHP modules I can install in 1.2.3-RELEASE?  I would be more than happy to install them as I don't need the potential security risks of a full-blown MTA on my firewall.  Essentially, I just need to be able to send email from the monit application installed on my firewall(s) to receive alerts, etc.

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            • jimpJ
              jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
              last edited by

              I don't know if there is a full-blown sendmail work-alike done in PHP, but someone could use the smtp.inc file from pfSense 2.0 and write a small front-end to it that takes the message and sends it where it needs to go:

              http://redmine.pfsense.org/repositories/entry/pfsense/etc/inc/smtp.inc

              The whole notification system had a lot of work done in 2.0

              You see how the SMTP settings are done here:

              http://redmine.pfsense.org/repositories/entry/pfsense/usr/local/www/system_advanced_notifications.php

              Not sure how much of that would work on 1.2.3 since it only has PHP 4.x and pfSense 2.0 is on PHP 5.x

              You may just have to google around for a PHP sendmail drop-in or work-alike and see what turns up.

              Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

              Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

              Do not Chat/PM for help!

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              • S
                Supermule Banned
                last edited by

                Sorry for my arrogant attitude…........:(

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                • D
                  dpcma
                  last edited by

                  • What does, "ps aux" give you?

                  ps aux does not show anything relaled to postfix…

                  • How are you trying to start postfix?

                  I made the following from the beginning

                  1.- pkg_add -r postfix.tbz from (ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-7-stable/Latest/postfix.tbz)
                  2.- edited /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postfix, just to change :${postfix_enable="YES"}
                  3.- cp /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postfix /usr/local/etc/rc.d/postfix.sh
                  4.- Added postfix_enable="YES" into /boot/loader.conf
                  5.- Reboot

                  • What does your postfix main.cf file have?

                  I´ve got 2, but i didn´t changed anything yet in those files

                  /usr/local/etc/postfix/main.cf
                  /usr/local/etc/libexec/postfix/main.cf

                  • How are you trying to connect using telnet?  From the local machine or from a machine on your LAN?

                  From both (obviously using localhost from pfsense, and LAN interface ip from LAN)

                  Thanks a lot!!!

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                  • D
                    dpcma
                    last edited by

                    If i try to stop / start postfix, this is the output

                    
                    #postfix stop
                    
                    postfix/postfix-scrcipt: stopping the Postfix mail system
                    sed: pid/master.pid: No such file or directory
                    usage: kill [-s signal_name] pid ...
                    	kill -l [exit_status]
                    	kill -signal_name pid ...
                    	kill -signal_number pid ...
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    
                    /libexec/ld-elf.so.1: /usr/local/libexec/postfix/master: Undefined symbol "close from"
                    postfix/postfix-script: waiting for the Postfix mail system to terminate
                    postfix/postfix-script: warning: stopping the Postfix mail system with force
                    awk: can´t open file pid/master.pid
                     source line number 1
                    
                    # postfix start
                    postfix/postfix-script: fatal: the Postfix mail system is already running
                    
                    #
                    
                    
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                    • D
                      dpcma
                      last edited by

                      ok. News.

                      I installed a fresh postfix on pfSense Box for FreeBSD 7.2 (postfix-current-2.6.20090212,4.tbz)

                      PostFix is running now (at least 25 port is opened), and ps -aux shows 2 processes running for postfix (pickup and qmgr) but now I got the following message in system log:

                      postfix/smtpd: fatal open database /etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory

                      if I search for aliases i found

                      /etc/aliases    (which is a link to mail/aliases) (/etc/mail/ is empty)
                      /usr/local/etc/postfix/dist/aliases
                      /usr/local/etc/postfix/aliases

                      Thanks

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                      • R
                        rkelleyrtp
                        last edited by

                        Great, you are almost there!

                        To get the /etc/aliases.db file created, edit the /etc/aliases file and make any necessary changes.  For me, I changed the "root:  you"  to "root:  rkelley@abcxyz.com" then ran /usr/local/bin/newaliases to build the /etc/aliases.db file.

                        Also, getting the /usr/local/postfix/main.cf file tuned properly is very important!  Here is what I have in mine:

                        
                        undisclosed_recipients_header = To:rkelley@abcxyz.com
                        queue_directory = /var/spool/postfix
                        command_directory = /usr/local/sbin
                        daemon_directory = /usr/local/libexec/postfix
                        data_directory = /var/db/postfix
                        mail_owner = postfix
                        myorigin = <domain_name>unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 550
                        mynetworks_style = host
                        relayhost = <pfsense_lan_ip>debug_peer_level = 2
                        debugger_command =
                                 PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin
                                 ddd $daemon_directory/$process_name $process_id & sleep 5
                        sendmail_path = /usr/local/sbin/sendmail
                        newaliases_path = /usr/local/bin/newaliases
                        mailq_path = /usr/local/bin/mailq
                        setgid_group = maildrop
                        html_directory = no
                        manpage_directory = /usr/local/man
                        sample_directory = /usr/local/etc/postfix
                        readme_directory = no</pfsense_lan_ip></domain_name> 
                        

                        Make sure to put in the correct information for your relayhost, undisclosed_recipients_header, and myorigin.  Once done, simply restart postfix and send yourself an email.

                        Let me know how you make out…

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                        • D
                          dpcma
                          last edited by

                          Ok. Good News again.

                          Now I´ve got prompt from the mail server

                          I made the following

                          cp /usr/local/etc/postfix/aliases /etc/aliases.db

                          newaliases

                          postfix reload

                          I will keep you informed

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                          • D
                            dpcma
                            last edited by

                            Ok. Finished.

                            My pfSense box is able to relay mail to another relay host. After a bit tailoring of main.cf

                            mynetworks_style=subnet
                            relaydomains = xyz.com
                            relayhost = ip.add.re.ss of LAN

                            Apart of your suggestions relayhost, undisclosed_recipients_header, and myorigin

                            Thank you very much for you help

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                            • R
                              rkelleyrtp
                              last edited by

                              No problem, glad to help.

                              Now that you have installed Postfix , please make sure to lock down your firewall as much as possible…

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                              • D
                                dpcma
                                last edited by

                                Sure! hehe My pfsense cluster is now a Swiss Army Knife hehe

                                Thanks again!

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