Mail Server not working?

Question

I am trying to setup mail server since a long time but as I am new to Linux I have unsuccessfully configured it to the best as I could but now I need assistance.

1. I have installed it using the links below:

   • http://www.serverubuntu.it/postfix-dovecot-guide
   • https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MailServer

2. I this to have web console also

3. It should use the domain name as mail.risheetech.com for web console & email address should be something like [email protected]
4. as every one knows it is a big process to setup an mail server, I am not including everything but very small amount of information, but please feel free to ask for any information that you may need to analyze and help me to resolve it.

5. below is the result of nmap:

   # nmap -sS -O 127.0.0.1
   
   Starting Nmap 5.21 ( //nmap.org ) at 2012-06-09 17:33 IST
   Nmap scan report for localhost (127.0.0.1)
   Host is up (0.000026s latency).
   Not shown: 990 closed ports
   
   PORT     STATE SERVICE
   23/tcp   open  telnet
   53/tcp   open  domain
   80/tcp   open  http
   110/tcp  open  pop3
   143/tcp  open  imap
   631/tcp  open  ipp
   993/tcp  open  imaps
   995/tcp  open  pop3s
   2000/tcp open  cisco-sccp
   3306/tcp open  mysql
   
   Device type: general purpose
   Running: Linux 2.6.X
   OS details: Linux 2.6.19 - 2.6.31
   Network Distance: 0 hops
   OS detection performed. Please report any incorrect results at //nmap.org/submit/ .
   Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 1.67 seconds
   

6. below is the mail.log file entries.

   tail -f /var/log/mail.log
   
   May 13 13:30:53 risheetech postfix/master[9018]: warning: /etc/postfix/main.cf: logical line must not start with whitespace: " smtpd_banner = $myhostname ES..."
   May 13 13:30:53 risheetech postfix/master[9018]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 120: bad transport type: -e
   May 13 13:32:05 risheetech postfix/master[9151]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 120: bad transport type: -e
   May 14 09:54:09 risheetech postfix/master[11284]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 120: bad transport type: -e
   Jun  9 17:08:50 risheetech postfix/postfix-script[13856]: starting the Postfix mail system
   Jun  9 17:08:51 risheetech postfix/master[13857]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 120: bad transport type: -e
   Jun  9 17:09:01 risheetech postfix/postfix-script[13863]: error: unknown command: 'restart'
   Jun  9 17:09:01 risheetech postfix/postfix-script[13864]: fatal: usage: postfix start (or stop, reload, abort, flush, check, status, set-permissions, upgrade-configuration)
   Jun  9 17:09:08 risheetech postfix/postfix-script[13977]: starting the Postfix mail system
   Jun  9 17:09:08 risheetech postfix/master[13978]: fatal: /etc/postfix/master.cf: line 120: bad transport type: -e
   

Let me know what else is required to figure out what is the problem. I know it is very complicated and includes lot of other sub questions in it.

Solution

It seems that your main.cf is wrong formatted. The logfile writes:

May 13 13:30:53 risheetech postfix/master[9018]: warning: 
   /etc/postfix/main.cf: logical line must not start with 
   whitespace: " smtpd_banner = $myhostname ES..."

Have a look at the third list item in postconf(5):

A logical line starts with non-whitespace text. A line that starts with whitespace continues a logical line.

So if you remove the whitespace at the line starting with smtpd_banner and restart Postfix it should working.

Comments

[Program man]

I have also gone through below links: - help.ubuntu.com/community/Postfix <\ br> - help.ubuntu.com/community/Dovecot <\ br>

[adempewolff]

I think I found one problem while editing the code tags in your post " smtpd_banner = $myhostname ES..." begins with a whitespace (it was messing up the code tags here which is how I found it!). Try editing /etc/postfix/main.cf and removing that whitespace and see if it helps at all.