Weirdest Zimbra Problem Ever (postfix main.cf file changes)

[dmcentire]

Here's my strange dilemma. I am running ZCS open source version 6.0.7. I have a backup script that does the usual rsync, then stop zimbra, rsync again, then start zimbra back up.

However, lately there is a new problem. When zimbra starts back up, postfix fails to run. Here's what's happening:

When I look at the main.cf file in /opt/zimbra/postfix/conf/ it has a line that looks like this:

smtpd_recipient_restrictions = reject_non_fqdn_recipient, permit_sasl_authenticated, permit_mynetworks, reject_unauth_destination, reject_unlisted_recipient, reject_invalid_hostname, reject_non_fqdn_sender, permit

However, when I run my backup script and stop/start services, most of the time the line blanks out like this:

smtpd_recipient_restrictions =

Which postfix does not like. It generates errors like:

zimbra postfix/smtpd[6101]: fatal: parameter "smtpd_recipient_restrictions": specify at least one working instance of: check_relay_domains, reject_unauth_destination, reject, defer or defer_if_permit

It's doing that because the list is blank. Is there anything in Zimbra that might be resetting this value to null upon restart?

Here's how I fix it, for now, until a better solution comes along:

1. cd /opt/zimbra/postfix/conf/
2. cp main.cf.backup main.cf (I made a backup of the GOOD file)
3. cd /opt/zimbra/bin/
4. ./postfix stop && ./postfix start

That seems to correct it. That tells me that somewhere in Zimbra it's rebuilding/reconfiguring the main.cf file.

Any help would be appreciated with this very unusual problem.

Thanks,

Dennis McEntire

[bdial]

zimbra does indeed rewrite the main.cf upon each start. most postfix values can be controlled via localconfig keys. do

zmlocalconfig | grep postfix

and you'll see them

[dmcentire]

I don't see the directive in there, smtpd_recipient_restrictions in the zmlocalconfig list. Is there any way to ADD this in so that it might stick when I restart Zimbra?

Are there separate configs somewhere containing the postfix parameters that are used to rebuild main.cf upon restarting?

Thanks,

Dennis

[bdial]

see

/opt/zimbra/conf/postfix_recipient_restrictions.cf

err not sure if thats the same in version 5.x, are you still using 5.0.6?

[Eno]

I get the same problem this morning, I don't know why it's not updating properly but there is a workaround. According to zmmta.cf :

POSTCONF smtpd_recipient_restrictions FILE postfix_recipient_restrictions.cf

So looking into into postfix_recipient_restrictions.cf to get values, now see what do we have into it :

reject_non_fqdn_recipient
permit_sasl_authenticated
permit_mynetworks
reject_unauth_destination
reject_unlisted_recipient
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_invalid_hostname%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_non_fqdn_hostname%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_non_fqdn_sender%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_unknown_client%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_unknown_hostname%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction reject_unknown_sender_domain%%
%%explode reject_rbl_client VAR:zimbraMtaRestrictionRBLs%%
%%contains VAR:zimbraMtaRestriction check_policy_service unixrivate/policy%%
permit

The file is not empty but after a restart, smtpd_recipient_restrictions in postfix conf file looks like this :

smtpd_recipient_restrictions =

That's why we're getting those errors. I found a hack to get rid of this bug, it's not beautifull but it's working.
You have to comment the line :

# POSTCONF smtpd_recipient_restrictions FILE postfix_recipient_restrictions.cf

And then to hard code informations into the main.cf :

smtpd_recipient_restrictions = reject_non_fqdn_recipient, permit_sasl_authenticated, permit_mynetworks, reject_unauth_destination, reject_unlisted_recipient, reject_invalid_hostname, reject_non_fqdn_sender, permit

[dmcentire]

Thanks for researching this, and I've learned a lot about the zmmta.cf file that's very interesting. I hope that a pound sign (#) will comment out that line, that's what I changed so we'll see what happens.

Funny that the problem happened to you as well, that's strange. The version I am using is 6.0.7 and it's the open source edition.

Thanks again,

Dennis

[gilmark]

I've got the same problem two days ago with 6.0.8 and got approximately to the same solution, but instead of commenting the line:

POSTCONF smtpd_recipient_restrictions FILE postfix_recipient_restrictions.cf

I've just changed it to the values I wanted to be in main.cf:

POSTCONF smtpd_recipient_restrictions permit_mynetworks,reject_unauth_destination

Then after Zimbra restart the main.cf has the proper line:

smtpd_recipient_restrictions=permit_mynetworks,reject_unauth_destination

I put more details about it here:
UNIX Systems Administration: Zimbra 6.0.8 mail processing issue