fetchmail-users

[fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Johan V. <fet...@bo...>]

Hello all,

At the beginning of this month I changed the username of one of my users 
but I forgot to change the corresponding username in the fetchmailrc 
config (so the username in the fetchmailrc config didn't exist anymore). 
For the last month fetchmail has been fetching my mails but didn't found 
a  user on the local system (errormsg see title).
What did fetchmail do with these mails (they are not on the server)? Are 
they stored somewhere or did I loose all the mails?

Thanks in advance,
Johan Vandeweerd

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 8/15/07, Johan Vandeweerd <fet...@bo...> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> At the beginning of this month I changed the username of one of my users
> but I forgot to change the corresponding username in the fetchmailrc
> config (so the username in the fetchmailrc config didn't exist anymore).
> For the last month fetchmail has been fetching my mails but didn't found
> a  user on the local system (errormsg see title).
> What did fetchmail do with these mails (they are not on the server)? Are
> they stored somewhere or did I loose all the mails?

It depends on a lot of things you haven't told us, not least of which
is the configuration of fetchmail and whatever SMTP server you are
running.

I would expect that, by default, your SMTP server returned a "no such
user" type error and fetchmail generated bounce message (as detailed
in the FAQ), deleting the message from the remote POP/IMAP server.  If
you consult your mail log it should tell you.

-- 
                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Johan V. <fet...@bo...>]

Rob MacGregor wrote:
> On 8/15/07, Johan Vandeweerd <fet...@bo...> wrote:
>   
>> Hello all,
>>
>> At the beginning of this month I changed the username of one of my users
>> but I forgot to change the corresponding username in the fetchmailrc
>> config (so the username in the fetchmailrc config didn't exist anymore).
>> For the last month fetchmail has been fetching my mails but didn't found
>> a  user on the local system (errormsg see title).
>> What did fetchmail do with these mails (they are not on the server)? Are
>> they stored somewhere or did I loose all the mails?
>>     
>
> It depends on a lot of things you haven't told us, not least of which
> is the configuration of fetchmail and whatever SMTP server you are
> running.
>
> I would expect that, by default, your SMTP server returned a "no such
> user" type error and fetchmail generated bounce message (as detailed
> in the FAQ), deleting the message from the remote POP/IMAP server.  If
> you consult your mail log it should tell you.
>
>   
I use postfix and courier.

My fetchmailrc looks like this:

    set no bouncemail
    set daemon 600
    defaults:
      antispam -1
      batchlimit 100

    poll pluto.sygmanet.be with protocol pop3 user "myemail" there with
    password "mypassword" is myusername here

In the logs I find things like this:

    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: awakened at Sun 12 Aug 2007
    06:12:01 AM CEST
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: Server certificate
    verification error: self signed certificate
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: Server certificate
    verification error: certificate has expired
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: 1 message for
    myemailaddress at remoteserver (20949 octets).
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19248]: connect from
    localhost[127.0.0.1]
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19248]: NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT
    from localhost[127.0.0.1]: 550 5.1.1 <oldusername@localhost>:
    Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table;
    from=<fre...@uc...> to=<oldusername@localhost>
    proto=ESMTP helo=<localserver>
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: reading message
    remoteusername@remoteserver:1 of 1 (20949 octets) (log message
    incomplete)
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: SMTP error: 550 5.1.1
    <oldusername@localhost>: Recipient address rejected: User unknown in
    local recipient table
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: connect from
    localhost[127.0.0.1]
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: EBAE7214DF2:
    client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
    Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: mail from
    MAILER-DAEMON@localserver bounced to fetchmail
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/cleanup[19252]: EBAE7214DF2:
    message-id=<20070812041201.EBAE7214DF2@localserver>
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: disconnect from
    localhost[127.0.0.1]
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/qmgr[2967]: EBAE7214DF2: from=<>,
    size=2340, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19248]: 0B354214DF4:
    client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/cleanup[19252]: 0B354214DF4:
    message-id=<be1a01c7dca5$f0d405d0$0fff6d29@fredcoxaaxue>
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/local[19253]: EBAE7214DF2:
    to=<fetchmail@localserver>, orig_to=<fetchmail>, relay=local,
    delay=0.13, delays=0.1/0.01/0/0.02, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent
    (delivered to maildir)
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/qmgr[2967]: EBAE7214DF2: removed
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/qmgr[2967]: 0B354214DF4:
    from=<fre...@uc...>, size=21319, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops fetchmail[3067]:  flushed
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/local[19253]: 0B354214DF4:
    to=<fetchmail@localhost>, relay=local, delay=0.17,
    delays=0.17/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to maildir)
    Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/qmgr[2967]: 0B354214DF4: removed

Where are those bouncemessage sent to? Or how could I have noticed this 
earlier? The old mails are lost, I presume?

Thanks
Johan Vandeweerd

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 8/15/07, Johan Vandeweerd <fet...@bo...> wrote:
>
> My fetchmailrc looks like this:
>
>     set no bouncemail

So, if you're running as root bounced mail will be directed to
postmaster, otherwise the user running fetchmail (as detailed in the
man page).

>    set daemon 600
>    defaults:
>      antispam -1

The default antispam list is empty - I'm not sure what you're thinking
to achieve with this.

> In the logs I find things like this:
>
<---SNIP--->
>     Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: connect from
>     localhost[127.0.0.1]
>     Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: EBAE7214DF2:
>     client=localhost[127.0.0.1]

Fetchmail starts the process of sending the bounce message

>     Aug 12 06:12:01 cyclops fetchmail[3067]: mail from
>     MAILER-DAEMON@localserver bounced to fetchmail
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/cleanup[19252]: EBAE7214DF2:
>     message-id=<20070812041201.EBAE7214DF2@localserver>
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19251]: disconnect from
>     localhost[127.0.0.1]
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/qmgr[2967]: EBAE7214DF2: from=<>,
>     size=2340, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/smtpd[19248]: 0B354214DF4:
>     client=localhost[127.0.0.1]
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/cleanup[19252]: 0B354214DF4:
>     message-id=<be1a01c7dca5$f0d405d0$0fff6d29@fredcoxaaxue>
>     Aug 12 06:12:02 cyclops postfix/local[19253]: EBAE7214DF2:
>     to=<fetchmail@localserver>, orig_to=<fetchmail>, relay=local,
>     delay=0.13, delays=0.1/0.01/0/0.02, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent
>     (delivered to maildir)

Bounce message delivered to the account "fetchmail"

> Where are those bouncemessage sent to? Or how could I have noticed this
> earlier?

They're delivered to the "fetchmail" user (the one running fetchmail).
 You could have noticed this earlier by monitoring that account's
email :)  Easiest approach is probably to alias that to the postmaster
address, which you should also be monitoring.

> The old mails are lost, I presume?

Depends on what was in the bounce - I haven't seen a fetchmail bounce
so I can't say.  If fetchmail is only providing the minimal "Your
message titled X could not be delivered" then you're out of luck.

-- 
                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Johan V. <fet...@bo...>]

> The default antispam list is empty - I'm not sure what you're thinking
> to achieve with this.
>   
I let my local mailclient handle the spam (move to spamfolder) so I have 
more control over my spam.

> So, if you're running as root bounced mail will be directed to
> postmaster, otherwise the user running fetchmail (as detailed in the
> man page).
>   
Fetchmail is run systemwide as root. In /etc/aliases everything is 
aliased to root and the final statement is an alias from root to the old 
username that doesn't exist anymore.
Normally I recieve all message on my mailbox, but I forgot to change the 
alias :-S

Greetings
Johan Vandeweerd

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 8/15/07, Johan Vandeweerd <fet...@bo...> wrote:
>
> > The default antispam list is empty - I'm not sure what you're thinking
> > to achieve with this.
> >
> I let my local mailclient handle the spam (move to spamfolder) so I have
> more control over my spam.

Yes, but you're replacing the empty list with a list containing the
value "-1".  I'm not sure what fetchmail will do with this internally
("fetchmail --configdump" will tell you), but it may just bite you
later.

> Fetchmail is run systemwide as root.

Which is a bad idea and if you were running a vaguely recent version
it would be warning you about this.  However your logs suggest that
it's being run as the user fetchmail - either that or the fetchmailrc
file you provided isn't the one you're using.

> In /etc/aliases everything is
> aliased to root and the final statement is an alias from root to the old
> username that doesn't exist anymore.

Ah, the old game of shooting yourself in the foot with a rocket
launcher :)  I'm afraid there's nothing fetchmail can do to protect
you from this.

-- 
                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Johan V. <fet...@bo...>]

> Which is a bad idea and if you were running a vaguely recent version
> it would be warning you about this.  However your logs suggest that
> it's being run as the user fetchmail - either that or the fetchmailrc
> file you provided isn't the one you're using.
>   
You're right. It runs as a daemon at startup but as user fetchmail.

> Ah, the old game of shooting yourself in the foot with a rocket
> launcher :)  I'm afraid there's nothing fetchmail can do to protect
> you from this.
How have you configured it or how would you do it?

Thanks for all the advice and help btw ;-)

Greetings
Johan Vandeweerd

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 8/15/07, Johan Vandeweerd <fet...@bo...> wrote:
>
> You're right. It runs as a daemon at startup but as user fetchmail.

:)

> How have you configured it or how would you do it?

Well, I have a separate admin mailbox that all mail for a number of
admin related addresses goes to (postmaster, hostmaster, abuse and the
others mentioned by an RFC I don't remember the number of).  I've also
got a catchall mailbox for last resort delivery - it almost never
receives mail, but it has come in handy a few times.

Lastly, I use Hobbit (hobbitmon.sf.net) to monitor all my systems,
including logfile monitoring.  It's the work of a few moments to set
it to produce an alert when fetchmail generates an error message.
Just make sure it sends emails to an off-network mailbox as well as to
a local one, so that if you break your local mailbox you still get
notified (and visit the web page so you can eyeball the status in case
you completely break your email).

> Thanks for all the advice and help btw ;-)

I'm happy to help those who're willing to work towards a solution and
provide the information asked for :)

-- 
                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche

Re: [fetchmail-users] Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table

[Johan V. <fet...@bo...>]

> Well, I have a separate admin mailbox that all mail for a number of
> admin related addresses goes to (postmaster, hostmaster, abuse and the
> others mentioned by an RFC I don't remember the number of).  I've also
> got a catchall mailbox for last resort delivery - it almost never
> receives mail, but it has come in handy a few times.
>
> Lastly, I use Hobbit (hobbitmon.sf.net) to monitor all my systems,
> including logfile monitoring.  It's the work of a few moments to set
> it to produce an alert when fetchmail generates an error message.
> Just make sure it sends emails to an off-network mailbox as well as to
> a local one, so that if you break your local mailbox you still get
> notified (and visit the web page so you can eyeball the status in case
> you completely break your email)
Thanks for the advice. I'll check into it.

Greets
Johan Vandeweerd