PHP mail() works from command line but not apache

php apache email command-line sendmail

16,543

I found the problem. SELinux was preventing apache from being able to use sendmail. To diagnose, I used

$ sestatus -b | grep sendmail  
httpd_can_sendmail                   off

Then to actually fix the problem:

$ restorecon /usr/sbin/sendmail
$ setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1

matt

Updated on June 12, 2022

Comments

matt almost 2 years
I'm trying to figure out why the mail function in PHP fails when called via web browser (i.e. apache), but I can run the same script from the command line using

php -f mailtest.php

This is one of my client's Fedora servers, so I don't grok it completely, but I do have root access should I need to change anything.

from php.ini:

sendmail_path = /usr/sbin/sendmail -t -i

Not sure if this could matter, but /usr/sbin/sendmail is a symlink to /etc/alternatives/mta, which is a symlink back to /usr/sbin/sendmail.sendmail. FWIW the apache user does have permission to run sendmail (tested sendmail directly from the command line).
```
OS: Fedora Core 7 Linux (kernel 2.6.23.17)  
Apache: 2.2.8  
PHP: 5.2.6
```
Any help here will be greatly appreciated!
matt over 14 years

All users have permission to execute sendmail. I confirmed by running sendmail as the apache user.
matt over 14 years

nothing in the error log. PHP is being run as an apache module.
matt over 14 years

also I've turned on all errors (i.e. error_reporting(E_ALL); ) and don't see any errors or warnings there either.
Josh over 14 years

Glad you figured it out. You should accept your own answer -- grants you rep, a badge, and lets others know the question is answered.
aurora almost 13 years

thanks, you led me in the right direction: i had a similar issue and after reading your post i got the idea that it might have something todo with my apparmor installation ... indeed, it was the problem.
Kalaschni over 10 years

tell me why this is set to off by default??
elquimista over 8 years

setsebool -P httpd_can_sendmail 1 didn't work for me. I tried with -V option and it worked like a charm.