[sllug-members]: SMTP Gmail/Comcast issue (solved) with Mepis/Ubuntu/Debian (GuardDog)

[Mike F.]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

This issue was mentioned several places around the web, but with no
solution.  I thought I'd document it, starting here, to save people
the headache it caused me.

SYMPTOM:
My mail client (Thunderbird) received just fine, but refused to send.

SYSTEM:
Mepis v3.0
Kernel: v2.6.15
Mozilla-Thunderbird v1.5.0.7
Google and Comcast mail servers.
GuardDog v2.5.0
Standard Comcast internet box, no routers, firewalls, etc.

BACKGROUND:
After running and Debian "Sarge" since its release, I decided to try
Mepis (an Ubuntu Debian derivative.)  I love apt- packaging tools, but
I wanted more current packages than vanilla Debian has available in
its stable branch.

After a few weeks of dual boot, I was pretty sure that everything I
needed was in Mepis, so I re-formatted the Debian "Sarge" partition so
I could try some other distros (SourceMage, thanks for asking.)

*THEN* I found the SMTP sending problem, of course.  I guess I had
only ever *read* my email in Mepis, but never bothered sending any.
#*&^$@!.  As nice as Gmail's interface is, visiting their website got
old pretty fast.

METHODOLOGY:
* From Thunderbird's error, I triple-checked SMTP/server settings.
Looked fine.
* I set up Kmail and Pan with the settings from Google.  Same problem.
* I set up a new user and new Thunderbird, Kmail, and Pan accounts.
Same thing.
* Sending/receiving *both* worked fine from Windoze.  (More assorted
swearing...)

I tried all these steps with Comcast's mail settings, and got the same
results!

It took a lot of Googling before it occurred to me that every mention
of this was either Ubuntu, or Mepis.  Nobody had documented it with
Debian or any other distro.  A comparison of packages included in
these two distros finally pointed me in the right direction.

CAUSE:
GuardDog is pre-installed, and pre-configured in Ubuntu/Mepis distros,
BUT only for SMTP on port 25.  Both Comcast and Gmail use TLS (port
587.)  (POP3S, using SSL on port 995 is pre-configured
"out-of-the-box," so receiving mail worked fine...)

*SOLUTION:*
Add a "user defined" protocol that allows use of port 587 (and be sure
to enable it) in GuardDog.

DETAILED STEPS:

Create a Protocol
* Start GuardDog (as root.)
* In Advanced, click "New Protocol."
* Give it a name (like "SMTP587")
* Choose port 587

Enable the Protocol
* In "Protocol," select "Internet" zone
* Find the new protocol ("SMTP587") in "User Defined" and check (NOT
"X") the box.

Problem solved.  Seems obvious, in retrospect.

Mike F.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iD8DBQFFKjiQFzqUQT6g/KURArHwAKCenqTCWyrmFZ888enfiqLLc3kIwQCgz9sr
E3MQBHs2QMbPOgxS/O9O0hk=
=1/Yq
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----