Re: [SM-USERS] Can't view mail in Inbox

[Paul L. <pa...@sq...>]

On 8/23/07, John Hinton <web...@ew...> wrote:
> Paul Lesniewski wrote:
> > Reply on-list please.
> >
> > On 8/23/07, John Hinton <web...@ew...> wrote:
> >
> >> Paul Lesniewski wrote:
> >>
> >>> On 8/23/07, John Hinton <web...@ew...> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Paul Lesniewski wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> On 8/23/07, John Hinton <web...@ew...> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> CentOS 4 systems at least
> >>>>>> Dovecot
> >>>>>> Sendmail
> >>>>>> SquirrelMail 1.4.8
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I have a random problem with some accounts. It seems to mostly affect
> >>>>>> only the root account of a virtual domain.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> They can login and use SquirrelMail fine. Then suddenly one day they can
> >>>>>> login, see the list of emails in their inbox, but SquirrelMail says the
> >>>>>> message has gone away when you click to open it.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I can create another folder. Move the message to that folder and open
> >>>>>> and read it fine.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> It seems that every function works just like it should except for the
> >>>>>> read function and only then on the Inbox.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> We store the root user info in /var/www/<username>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> User account under the web tree?!?  Not their mail data, right?!?
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> Right. As this we run fairly standard sendmail setups, the inbox is
> >>>> actually in /var/spool/mail
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>> We store other account under that virtual host in
> >>>>>> /var/www/homes/<otheruser.domainprefix>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> This is really really bad
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> Yeah, that would be... it's actually
> >>>> /var/www/<mainusername>/homes/<otheruser.mainusername>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> Why is there ANY user data (mail or not) in the web tree?  Unless it's
> >>> all website stuff... but none of that is related to SM anyway.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>>> This is very random, happening only to a few accounts and again, it
> >>>>>> seems to just start happening for no apparent reason. Almost all root
> >>>>>> accounts work fine.. then suddenly one breaks at random and stays broken.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Does anyone have any ideas where to start looking?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>> Server error logs.  Send message samples (full headers and content).
> >>>>> Upgrade SM.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>> We follow RedHat with updates as we are running CentOS. I actually do
> >>>> run the dag repository as well and IIRC, his repository is actually
> >>>> where the last few squirrelmail updates have come in.
> >>>>
> >>>> There are no problems with the messages. I can delete the mailfile, send
> >>>> a message in myself and the same thing happens.
> >>>>
> >>>> Nothing shows up that I can find in the server logs.. I just get this
> >>>> message in SquirrelMail:
> >>>>
> >>>> "*ERROR:*
> >>>>
> >>>> The server couldn't find the message you requested.
> >>>>
> >>>> Most probably your message list was out of date and the message has been
> >>>> moved away or deleted (perhaps by another program accessing the same
> >>>> mailbox).
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> That's a much different error than you gave the impression of (which
> >>> is why you should always include this the first time).  This is
> >>> usually due to an out-of-synch UID cache issue.  But if it happens
> >>> only with one message no matter if you log out and back in again,
> >>> etc., then the issue may be related to the message or the IMAP server.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> I've been watching maillog, messages, access_log and error_log. Do I
> >>>> need to turn up logging? Where should the error show up?
> >>>>
> >>>> Meanwhile SquirrelMail will let me select (toggle) a message and move it
> >>>> to a different folder, even though it seems to think the message isn't
> >>>> there... and once it is in the other folder it will let me open it.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> I would test with SM 1.4.10 before worrying any more about this.
> >>>
> >>>
> >> I'm running
> >>
> >> squirrelmail-1.4.8-4.0.1.el4.centos.noarch.rpm
> >>
> >> which is the latest update from RHEL compiled for CentOS. I don't like
> >> to step outside of what is supposedly know to work by RedHat.
> >>
> >
> > Then suffer its bugs and don't expect support from developers who may
> > have already fixed such issues or ask RedHat for support.
> >
>
> I guess perhaps the changelog is incomplete, but it makes no mention of
> such a problem. Also, there is no such problem listed in the bug list.
> Maybe it is something that has been fixed.. maybe it is not.
>
> > SM is a very simple PHP script.  You can install it from tarball in
> > minutes (without destroying the one you get via RedHat) and probably
> > use the same config file as well.
> >
> >
>
> I would have to say you just insulted the developers to no end. "a very
> simple PHP script"? I've poked around in there for a few days and I
> would have to say it is anything but simple.

I *am* a SM developer.  I can say from experience that it is sometimes
pathetically simple, but my main meaning in this context is that it
needs next-to-no other system requirements and configuration.  No
compilation, just untar it, copy your config file and go.  Why is that
so hard for you?

> If I install the tarball I might be destroying the path of the issue.

Or you might be revealing the fact that the problem is a RedHat issue.
 The simplicity of SM means that no matter where you put it on the
machine, if you use the same config file, there are not many reasons
you wouldn't get the same problem if it does exist in SM.

> Then I'll have to wait for I don't know how many more weeks or months to
> see if it might break again. Also, if one of the largest providers of
> 'nix OSs in the world has a bug in something they are delivering, I
> would think that the folks at SquirrelMail would like for them to know
> about it so they can do what is needed to fix it.

We are not responsible for the bugs they might introduce into it.
I've not heard any problem like this in a long time so chances are
just as good it's you, your system, or RedHat.  My point was that you
need to test our latest code to see if it's fixed; this pickiness is
not helpful.

> Most people running EL systems are doing so because they do NOT want to
> live out there on the cutting edge. Suggesting that I update to the
> latest package because this problem 'might have been fixed' is in my
> opinion a poor attitude. It seems to me that if a problem like this was
> fixed in this 'simple PHP script', you would have known about it? I'm
> sure you think my attitude about staying aligned with the upstream
> provider is a poor attitude.

No.  I think you coming to ask for help and then refusing to cooperate
with suggestions and instead responding with insults is ridiculous.
SM 1.4.10a is NOT cutting edge.  It is the latest state of STABLE code
for SM.

> The problem seems pretty simple. Whatever it is that tells SquirrelMail
> where the Inbox should be seems to not be communicating the proper path.
> I haven't been able to find where that information is stored.

SM talks to your IMAP server.  SM doesn't access your filesystem.  If
the problem is so simple, and testing 1.4.10/11 is too hard, we'll
just wait for you to file a patch to fix it.

> If this is a random bug that might still exist, it seems like the
> responsible path to take is to discover the issue.

I *exactly* asked you to tell us if the bug DOES still exist by
testing up to date code.  But you are obstinate, and I doubt I'll be
interested in following up any more on this thread.  Maybe someone
else will if you are more polite.

> If in fact it is
> fixed, a bug report needs to be filed with RedHat. Random issues like
> this are the hardest to find... we do have an opportunity.
>
> I don't know what I said that set you off

I was never "set off".  I told you to test to see if the bug still
exists in our codebase.  If it does, someone might help you.  If it
does not, you have to go to RedHat or look at your own
misconfigurations.

> I apologize if something came
> across wrong. I don't know how much more clear I could have been from
> the start if you look at the subject of this email. Perhaps you've
> simply had a long day... Otherwise if I said something horrid in your
> opinion, I apologize. I've had a very long day myself.. starting at 5am
> and it's now almost 2:30am... I think I'll just wait until I sleep
> before making a decision about what direction to take.
>
> Best Regards,
> John Hinton
> >>>> SquirrelMail will also let me select (toggle) individual messages within
> >>>> the inbox and it allows me to successfully delete them. It just won't
> >>>> let me click on a subject line to open one to read while it is in the
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> ANY messages?  Or just one or two?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >> Any message, one message, all messages. I can't read any of them. I can
> >> delete any or all of them. I can move any or all of them and once they
> >> are outside of the INBOX I can read any or all of them. The only thing I
> >> cannot do is read a message while it is in the INBOX.
> >>
> >> Of about 500 hosted domains across 14 servers, I am aware of only about
> >> 6 accounts which have this problem. SquirrelMail is available to all our
> >> users, but the vast majority never use it. So this is not a problem with
> >> 1% of the SquirrelMail users.. but more likely 10% or so. It has
> >> happened now on at least three different servers... same exact problem.
> >>
> >>
> >>>> inbox. All other messages in all other folders work fine.
> >>>>
> >>>> The other oddity, is this is just on a few accounts not all of them. It
> >>>> is happening on multiple servers. So far each time it has occurred on
> >>>> the root user account... so far not on any of the sub-accounts.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >> John Hinton
> >>
> >>
>
>