Send HTML Email, with Attachments

arrmo · May 19, 2021, 9:50 PM

Hi,

I have no issues sending (basic) email using /usr/local/bin/mail.php => works just fine. But ... I would like to be able to send HTML formatted email, and also add attachments, but it seems that this basic mail interface doesn't support that. Is there a way to do this in pfSense?

Thanks!

NollipfSense · May 19, 2021, 10:57 PM

@arrmo It's a firewall, not an email client.

arrmo · May 19, 2021, 10:59 PM

@nollipfsense LOL - yes, understood (and agreed!). But I want to send out, for example, log files (with details) if certain firewall rules are violated. Not a big thing, just would be nice / handy.

Thanks!

NollipfSense · May 19, 2021, 11:02 PM

@arrmo Use a remote syslog server, that's the only correct way.

arrmo · May 20, 2021, 6:05 AM

@nollipfsense Will give that a try. Was just hoping sendmail, or mailx (or mutt?) was a possibility in some way.

Thanks.

Gertjan · May 20, 2021, 6:07 AM

@arrmo said in Send HTML Email, with Attachments:

hoping sendmail, or mailx (or mutt?)

Well, Outlook 365 isn't there neither, but who cares, as the creation of mail should be automated anyway.
So, there is another option - and it's already present.
Look here : /etc/inc/phpmailer and you find one file : class.phpmailer.php
That worlds most used and documented PHP mini mail 'client'. Every site on planet earth that uses PHP uses or used this "PHPMailer".

See here for guide lines : source and and good example is here.

Now, all you have to do is :
Install the pfSense cron package.
Add a line that executes ones a (example) day :

/usr/local/bin/php -q /root/daily-mail-with-flags-and-whistles.php

The "daily-mail-with-flags-and-whistles.php" is to be placed in /root/, just like the example.

NollipfSense · May 20, 2021, 3:33 PM

@gertjan Good to know ... thank you for sharing!

arrmo · May 20, 2021, 6:50 PM

@gertjan said in Send HTML Email, with Attachments:

That worlds most used and documented PHP mini mail 'client'. Every site on planet earth that uses PHP uses or used this "PHPMailer".

Sounds great, thanks! But ... I don't seem to have that file /etc/inc/phpmailer. Hmmm ... is it part of a package install?

Running v2.5.0.

Thanks again.

Gertjan · May 21, 2021, 6:00 AM

@arrmo said in Send HTML Email, with Attachments:

I don't seem to have that file /etc/inc/phpmailer. Hmmm ... is it part of a package install?

Strange. It's a my pfSense, and probably a left over from an ancient version. A new install doesn't include phpmailer.

edit : package : I don't think so.
I've NUT, Notes, cron, acme, VPN-Export, pfBlockerNG-devel, Avahi, Shellcmd and System_patches.
It might have been 'NUT' from the past, but this one it now using the build in pfSense "mail facilities".

No big deal, as would advise anyway to use the latest version from the source mentioned above.
If, and only if you're guys a comfortable with copying a file and don't bother coping 'unknown' scripts code on your firewall.

arrmo · May 21, 2021, 10:21 PM

@gertjan said in Send HTML Email, with Attachments:

If, and only if you're guys a comfortable with copying a file and don't bother coping 'unknown' scripts code on your firewall.

Yep, that makes sense. Appreciate the pointers!

czuk · Jul 24, 2024, 1:58 PM

For future ref. phpmailer is included in the mailreport package