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Email woes on IBM/AIX Risc 6000

 [1/9] from: ed:dana:avnet at: 1-Aug-2002 9:09


Last week, I had set REBOL up on an IBM/AIX Risc 6000. Everything seems to work fine, but email. I can read http addresses no problem, but when I send an email, it times out. My user.r file appears to be set correctly, and we can send email from the box using other means, so I'm not sure what's going wrong here. Anyone got suggestions as to where I can start looking for this problem? I've contacted REBOL Support and never got an answer back, so any help provided here is greatly appreciated. Regards, Ed Dana. ====================================================================== Component: "Internet Protocols" (22-Mar-2001/17:38:17) Finger protocol loaded Whois protocol loaded Daytime protocol loaded SMTP protocol loaded POP protocol loaded IMAP protocol loaded HTTP protocol loaded FTP protocol loaded NNTP protocol loaded Script: "User Preferences" (29-Apr-2002/11:00:11-7:00)
>> send [Ed--Dana--Avnet--com] "Howdy!"
connecting to: smtprelay.avnet.com ** Access Error: Network timeout ** Where: confirm ** Near: smtp-port: open [scheme: 'smtp] if email?
>> read http://www.rebol.com
connecting to: www.rebol.com == {<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> ^-<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html;CHARSET=i...

 [2/9] from: gscottjones::mchsi::com at: 1-Aug-2002 17:16


From: "Dana, Ed"
> Last week, I had set REBOL up on an IBM/AIX Risc 6000. Everything seems to > work fine, but email. I can read http addresses no problem, but when I
send
> an email, it times out. > > My user.r file appears to be set correctly, and we can send email from the > box using other means, so I'm not sure what's going wrong here. Anyone got > suggestions as to where I can start looking for this problem?
<rest of email: http://www.escribe.com/internet/rebol/m24107.html
Hi, Ed, It is not obvious from what you wrote about. Additionally, the smtp server is not accessible from the Internet (or is not currently up) so I can't log on with telnet to confirm what I think may be happening. My guess (judging from info in your email header) is that the smtp server may be an authenticating server (meaning it requires sign-on sequence management before it allows email to be sent). If so, not all implementations may be currently supported in pure (unhacked) REBOL. Second, if the user name sequence has an @ sign, the standard REBOL net url parser will not properly parse the user name portion. If the email server requires "authentication" and your user name has an @, let me know and I can dig up the patch. If you don't know if it is authenticating, try a telnet session, something like: telnet smtprelay.avnet.com:25 type: EHLO your-client-url and return and wait to see if amongst the return messages you see: S: 250-AUTH=LOGIN If you do not have an @ in the user portion, copy the feedout of the telnet session, and it may be easy to show a hack that will work (based on a hack I did last year for an Exchange server that required authentication using MBS_BASIC encoding). Hope this helps instead of confuses. --Scott Jones

 [3/9] from: edanaii:cox at: 1-Aug-2002 18:36


G. Scott Jones wrote:
>Hi, Ed, >It is not obvious from what you wrote about. Additionally, the smtp server
<<quoted lines omitted: 6>>
>sequence has an @ sign, the standard REBOL net url parser will not properly >parse the user name portion.
Nope, it's not obvious from what I wrote. But then, that's my whole problem, I'm not sure where I should start looking. :)
>If the email server requires "authentication" and your user name has an @, >let me know and I can dig up the patch. If you don't know if it is >authenticating, try a telnet session, something like: >
I don't believe that the server requires authentication. Working with our SA, we were able to send an email on that box using a unix command (I forget which, I'm not a unix dude), it worked fine.
>telnet smtprelay.avnet.com:25 >type: > EHLO your-client-url >and return and wait to see if amongst the return messages you see: >S: 250-AUTH=LOGIN >
I'll try it, but I'm not sure what you mean by "your-client-url"? Do you mean the url of the box I'm trying to email from? Please clarify...
>If you do not have an @ in the user portion, copy the feedout of the telnet >session, and it may be easy to show a hack that will work (based on a hack I >did last year for an Exchange server that required authentication using >MBS_BASIC encoding). >
My ultimate goal is to connect to an exchange server and process email there. So if this is relevant now, it will be later. :) -- Sincerely, | The Traveler awaits the morning tide. He doesn't Ed Dana | know what's on the other side. But something deep Software Developer | inside of him keeps telling him to go. He hasn't 1Ghz Athlon Amiga | found a reason to say no. | -- the Alan Parsons Project, Days are Numbers. =========== http://OurWorld.CompuServe.com/Homepages/EDanaII ===========

 [4/9] from: anton:lexicon at: 2-Aug-2002 14:15


Hi,
> >telnet smtprelay.avnet.com:25 > >type:
<<quoted lines omitted: 4>>
> I'll try it, but I'm not sure what you mean by "your-client-url"? Do you > mean the url of the box I'm trying to email from? Please clarify...
I tried it with the smtp server at my dialup isp. I could type just random characters for "your-client-url" and it said: Hello po-202-x-x-x.izone.net.au [202.x.x.x], pleased to meet you so you see it determined the ip address (202.x.x.x) that my isp assigned to me when I dialed in. This "HELO/EHLO" stage may or may not be a problem for you. Also, try typing "HELP" for a list of commands. Anton.

 [5/9] from: mat:plothatching at: 2-Aug-2002 8:40


Hi Ed, Ed> connecting to: smtprelay.avnet.com Ed> ** Access Error: Network timeout Ed> ** Where: confirm Ed> ** Near: smtp-port: open [scheme: 'smtp] Ed> if email? I had something like this once. The problem was due to the mail server attempting to do an ident check on the machine which was talking to it. The timeout period of this on the mail server was longer than the default timeout period in Rebol. The solution was to turn the ident request off on the mail server although if you have no access to that you should be able to increase the Rebol timeout value instead. Regards, Mat.

 [6/9] from: gscottjones:mchsi at: 2-Aug-2002 6:53


Hi, Ed, From: "Ed Dana"
> G. Scott Jones wrote: > >It is not obvious from what you wrote about. ... > Nope, it's not obvious from what I wrote. But then, that's my whole > problem, I'm not sure where I should start looking. :)
Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that your description was in any way inadequate or lacking. I should have written something more like that I agreed that it certainly wasn't obvious what was going on. My blunder; sorry.
> >If the email server requires "authentication" and your user name has an
@,
> >let me know and I can dig up the patch. If you don't know if it is > >authenticating, try a telnet session, something like: > > > I don't believe that the server requires authentication. Working with > our SA, we were able to send an email on that box using a unix command > (I forget which, I'm not a unix dude), it worked fine.
I also should clarify at this point that I, too, am not a AIX/unix/*nix dude, but I played one at an improv theater once. (<<---- Attempt-At-Humor Alert ---->>) So like all good actors, then I'm probably over qualified. :-) Actually I don't think that this is an AIX issue, or I wouldn't be wasting your time. Just that in being a close follower of the list, I've noticed certain recurring patterns of problems. This one *appears* to be a requires-some-sort-of-authentication-that-is-not-fully-supported category, which can be further subcategorized into a using-a-"non-standard"-user-account-name or using-one-of-the-many-non-standardized-authenticated-smtp issues.
> >telnet smtprelay.avnet.com:25 > >type:
<<quoted lines omitted: 4>>
> I'll try it, but I'm not sure what you mean by "your-client-url"? Do you > mean the url of the box I'm trying to email from? Please clarify...
I guess that was a bit nebulous. Sorry. As Anton pointed out in a separate response, it may not matter what is typed in here because many email servers will determine what it needs, namely your machine's URL, and therefore, your machine's IP. Assuming that you are emailing from within the network (which I assume you are since I cannot ping nor telnet to your server from the Internet), your client url would likely look something like "dana.avnet.com" or maybe dana.bestdivision.avnet.com . The email server will then get the IP address that belongs to this url. My foggy-headed understanding of this is that some email servers can be configured to only accept email from within certain subnets as a further means of avoiding the unintended hosting of a promiscuous email server (I just love that expression). Further authentication is a redunduncy added in case the url/ip has been spoofed, or authentication can be used to accept email from outside the subnet or network (like if you are working from home), in which case the url/ip is unimportant, but the user account name and password is crucial to avoid being a promiscuous email server (there's that expression again). Since you didn't mention having a user account name that includes an @ (like [myname--mydomain--dom]) and that you use (or will be using) Exchange server, then you may wish to try the hack I made April '01 for Nick Carson. http://www.escribe.com/internet/rebol/m7905.html In this solution, I provide two scripts that add hacked versions of the smtp scheme and the send function. Watch for line breaks. I renamed these to avoid any conflict with REBOL's official version, but can be named to overwrite the default code. As it stands, these scripts are designed to be run from a REBOL console, but can be easily rewritten to run as a /View gui. The authenticating username and password are requested from the console prompt on first use, and stored internally for the rest of the session. These values are not saved to permanent storage locally for security reasons. Please note that if this script is to be provided for multiple user use, it would be trivial to halt a script then hack and get the username and password once entered (meaning, security risk). If this is the situation, then the scripts should be changed to ask for the username/password *each time* needed. If these scripts do not work, then I would try the telnet route. From Windows, open a dos box and type in: telnet smtprelay.avnet.com 25 After the email server responds, type EHLO your-client-url-as-discussed-above then see what returns. This return infomation will be very valuable for determining what to do next in making REBOL compatible. You may sign-off the telnet session with "QUIT" and return. (BTW, if you cannot see what you type, then in the telnet menu, click preferences, and select "local echo".) I hope I have further clarified what was evidently a less than clear explanation. I'm interested in hearing what you find. --Scott Jones

 [7/9] from: edanaii:cox at: 2-Aug-2002 15:47


G. Scott Jones wrote:
>Hi, Ed, >From: "Ed Dana"
<<quoted lines omitted: 9>>
>agreed that it certainly wasn't obvious what was going on. My blunder; >sorry.
Think nothing of it. I did. :)
>>I don't believe that the server requires authentication. Working with >>our SA, we were able to send an email on that box using a unix command
<<quoted lines omitted: 4>>
>Alert ---->>) So like all good actors, then I'm probably over qualified. >:-)
That's OK, I slept at a Holiday Inn... (Funny only if you live here in the States and pay attention to Holiday Inn commercials :)
>Actually I don't think that this is an AIX issue, or I wouldn't be wasting >your time. Just that in being a close follower of the list, I've noticed
<<quoted lines omitted: 3>>
>using-a-"non-standard"-user-account-name or >using-one-of-the-many-non-standardized-authenticated-smtp issues.
My problem is: I don't know. Personally, I think it is a configuration issue, but where? It's either REBOL, or it's the AIX box. And I gotta eliminate one in order for it to be the other.
>>I'll try it, but I'm not sure what you mean by "your-client-url"? Do you >>mean the url of the box I'm trying to email from? Please clarify...
<<quoted lines omitted: 19>>
>[myname--mydomain--dom]) and that you use (or will be using) Exchange server, >then you may wish to try the hack I made April '01 for Nick Carson.
I am using an Exchange Server (or will be), unfortunately, I don't know if smtprelay is an exchange server or not. It's supposed to be a simple relay server, but I know little of these things. But it is definitely not the server I am ultimately going to connect to. At this point, I've done nothing more than try and send an email. Maybe I should spend another night in a Holiday Inn? =)
>http://www.escribe.com/internet/rebol/m7905.html >In this solution, I provide two scripts that add hacked versions of the smtp
<<quoted lines omitted: 10>>
>situation, then the scripts should be changed to ask for the >username/password *each time* needed.
I'll give this a try next week.
>If these scripts do not work, then I would try the telnet route. From >Windows, open a dos box and type in:
<<quoted lines omitted: 8>>
>I hope I have further clarified what was evidently a less than clear >explanation. I'm interested in hearing what you find.
As I mentioned to Anton, I tried HELO (EHLO wasn't available). I only got one response "OK". That was about it... -- Sincerely, | When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries of Ed Dana | life disappear and life stands explained. Software Developer | -- Mark Twain 1Ghz Athlon Amiga |

 [8/9] from: edanaii:cox at: 2-Aug-2002 15:36


Anton wrote:
>I tried it with the smtp server at my dialup isp. >I could type just random characters for "your-client-url"
<<quoted lines omitted: 5>>
>may or may not be a problem for you. >Also, try typing "HELP" for a list of commands.
I telneted to the server, looks like it connected no problem, but all I got back when I HELOed was "OK". Nothing else happened. -- Sincerely, | When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries of Ed Dana | life disappear and life stands explained. Software Developer | -- Mark Twain 1Ghz Athlon Amiga |

 [9/9] from: edanaii:cox at: 2-Aug-2002 15:50


Mat Bettinson wrote:
>Hi Ed, >Ed> connecting to: smtprelay.avnet.com
<<quoted lines omitted: 9>>
>although if you have no access to that you should be able to increase >the Rebol timeout value instead.
You are correct, there is little I can do about the mail server. I did try changing the default system timeout *and* the SMTP system timeout, but neither made a difference. -- Sincerely, | Control is an illusion, you infantile egomaniac. Ed Dana | Nobody knows what's gonna happen next: not on a Software Developer | freeway, not in an airplane, not inside our own 1Ghz Athlon Amiga | bodies and certainly not on a racetrack with 40 | other infantile egomaniacs. | -- Days of Thunder

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