Near total failure

[Jimbo99]

I have been trying to get zimbra set up and I'm afraid to say that I have had near total failure.

I struggled at first with far too many "fully qualified hostname" errors. Even now I am not sure that what I managed to set (that made the installation work) isn't the cause of my ongoing woes with Zimbra.

I want to say that unless you speak english, and I mean real english, not engienglish we won't communicate well, so please use real english instead of engineering speak.

The issue I am currently having are manyfold, such as: the commands that you guys are so fond of stating should be there to run "zmstat", "zmcontrol" do not exist in my system, mail doesn't seem to be sent, cannot create shared calendars or change a calendar to shared.

Finally, after herculean efforts I have what appears to be a successful install--shy the issues with the fully qualified host name which I think is at least in part contributing to my problems now.

After what appears to be a completed successful install (without any error messages) I can go into the web browser and log in as admin and see the mail and the calendar and other features.

In attempting to test my system:

I sent an email to myself. The email shows in the sent folder but it doesn't show up in the inbox.

A special note:
In trying to resolve this I searched hard in order to figure out how to actually log in as the admin and gain the admin functions. This information is not well documented and it does not come up readily in google. Also the Zimbra online wiki pages covering admin show 404 page not found messages.


Through my long struggles:

I found out. It is https://name:7071.

What I also found out is that by default firefox blocks this request telling me that the certificate is untrustworthy or forged. It allows me to override it but really guys, I don't think this should be happening.

Once that is done and I get to the log in for admin I see the admin features and I can create accounts.

I create a couple accounts. I move from workstation to workstation attempting to log in and that works. I can even create a calendar and switch workstations and login in again and the information is retained.

When I try to send an email from one person to another say from Julie to reception the mail is not forwarded.

When I create a calendar item and I can move from computer to computer to computer and view the calendar items.

When I attempt to share the calendar by right clicking on the calendar and choose share properties, after settting all the properties the OK button is disabled and I can't save the changes.

I would appreciate any help. This has been an excruciating pain the whole way.

Keep in mind rules 1 through 10 here for this installation:

THIS machine will never ever send information out through the internet, ever, for any reason whatsoever, period. What that means is that it is an "in-house" implementation only, period, so there's never any reason to consider DNS nor anything having to do with communication with the outside world. I absolutely must reiterate. This is an in house implementation only, period.

So, keep that in mind for any assistance you give. You should never let the internet or other types of services fall into your calculation when attempting to resolve this.

Thanks In Advance.

Also, this is an important project and I have an extremely small time frame to get these issues resolved.

[computerfixitguy]

Man, I really want to spell it out for you but I can't use engienglish so I have to stop there. So without any explanation ZCS must have a searchable name in DNS.

Hope that helps.

Derek

Beggers can't be choosers.

[uxbod]

Welcome to the forums

If you provide the following information we shall be able to help

cat /etc/hosts
cat /etc/resolv.conf
dig _domainname_ mx
dig _domainname_ any
host `hostname` <- note backticks and not double quotes

[phoenix]

Gosh, it really is difficult to know where to start with this post. Let's start with this comment:

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

I want to say that unless you speak english, and I mean real english, not engienglish we won't communicate well, so please use real english instead of engineering speak.

I'm afraid that some of the terms are going to be technical, are you saying you don't want the answer in that format? If you don't understand some of the technical terms used here then you will have to learn about them to be able to comprehend what you're doing and the reasons why you're doing it - otherwise It makes it difficult for us to give you any support.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

The issue I am currently having are manyfold, such as: the commands that you guys are so fond of stating should be there to run "zmstat", "zmcontrol" do not exist in my system......

You need to run them as the Zimbra user, this is covered in the Zimbra Quick Start Installation Guide.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

Finally, after herculean efforts I have what appears to be a successful install--shy the issues with the fully qualified host name which I think is at least in part contributing to my problems now.

This is one of those technical issues you need to get to grips with, you need a FQDN for your /etc/hosts file and to identify the server.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

A special note:
In trying to resolve this I searched hard in order to figure out how to actually log in as the admin and gain the admin functions. This information is not well documented and it does not come up readily in google.

Covered in the Quick Start Installation Guide.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

Also the Zimbra online wiki pages covering admin show 404 page not found messages.

Which on-line wiki pages are you talking about? Do you mean the Zimbra help in the Admin UI? That all works fine for me, if you mean the wiki in the link on this page I also don't see any problems with that.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

What I also found out is that by default firefox blocks this request telling me that the certificate is untrustworthy or forged. It allows me to override it but really guys, I don't think this should be happening.

That's because we generate a self-signed certificate for Zimbra and that will always get a query from any browser, that's not a function we can change. You can install a commercial certificate.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

THIS machine will never ever send information out through the internet, ever, for any reason whatsoever, period. What that means is that it is an "in-house" implementation only, period, so there's never any reason to consider DNS nor anything having to do with communication with the outside world. I absolutely must reiterate. This is an in house implementation only, period.

Unfortunately, for you, the fact you are using this as a local server has absolutely no bearing on the requirement that Zimbra (i.e. Postfix) needs a DNS server to be installed so it can deliver mail.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

Also, this is an important project ........

Only to you.

How about telling us which operating system and which version/release of Zimbra you have installed?

[Jimbo99]

cat /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
192.168.0.117 mail.bonincook mail


cat /etc/resolv.conf
search hsd1.wa.comcast.net.
nameserver 192.168.0.1

dig _domainname_ mx

; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P1 <<>> _domainname_ mx
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 41418
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;_domainname_. IN MX

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
. 900 IN SOA A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. NSTLD.VERISIGN-GRS.COM. 2008072200 1800 900 604800 86400

;; Query time: 74 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.0.1#53(192.168.0.1)
;; WHEN: Tue Jul 22 08:41:10 2008
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 105


dig _domainname_ any

; <<>> DiG 9.4.2-P1 <<>> _domainname_ any
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NXDOMAIN, id: 1898
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 1, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;_domainname_. IN ANY

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
. 900 IN SOA A.ROOT-SERVERS.NET. NSTLD.VERISIGN-GRS.COM. 2008072200 1800 900 604800 86400

;; Query time: 39 msec
;; SERVER: 192.168.0.1#53(192.168.0.1)
;; WHEN: Tue Jul 22 08:41:49 2008
;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 105


host `hostname`
mail.hsd1.wa.comcast.net is an alias for mail.adelphia.net.
mail.adelphia.net has address 68.168.78.100




hostname -f
mail.bonincook

[Jimbo99]

Phoenix,

Actually one would think that the DNS is not necessary as the /etc/host file should provide the information about mail delivery address. Wasn't that how it was done in the early days with the host file instead of a dsn?

As well, I have sent using zimbra on the workstation where zimbra is installed and to myself as a test and still no mail which, tho the dns server may be the issue, the host file should take care of that one would think.

Also, Zimbra is installed. I am sure I stated it was installed without errors, though yes, on those questions regarding the DNS server (within the install script) I answered NO to the questions, primarily because there was no explanation as to why it was necessary or important.

As far as the wiki pages go that generated the 404 this was on www.zimbra.com's website.

About the FQHN.

This was fought with over and over with the install. I researched everywhere and tried many examples given on this forum and others. Fortunately for me, as I have noted, the installer has completed successfully without errors so that means that I must have a FQHN, no?

If you set the hostname in network properties the same as that in the /etc/hosts file the FQHN fails its check. If I make them different, then it succeeds.

Though this machine will be on the internet this server will never be used to access zimbra from anywhere except internally. The machine will be connected to a router which is connected to comcast through cable. This is for a small business with 3 employees and we need shared calendaring. Those features may become important in the future right now enabling them are secondary to getting mail and/or shared calendaring working.

My attempts to get you to speak english are simple. After reading the massive amount of information about zimbra installs I am left feeling like I have learned nothing because there was so much attempt at people expressing the vocabulary that they failed to exchange information--using engineering english is not what the average small business employee is trying to read. We want english spoken in a way we can easily apply what is being said. Our jobs and lives are far more involved than the task of setting up zimbra. Is it so much to ask to have you speak in terms that are familiar so that we can communicate and move on?

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

Actually one would think that the DNS is not necessary as the /etc/host file should provide the information about mail delivery address. Wasn't that how it was done in the early days with the host file instead of a dsn?

As I've already stated, it is a requirement of Postfix (the MTA component of Zimbra) that you have a DNS server installed so that it can resolve the server hostname and deliver mail.

Originally Posted by Jimbo99

We want english spoken in a way we can easily apply what is being said. Our jobs and lives are far more involved than the task of setting up zimbra. Is it so much to ask to have you speak in terms that are familiar so that we can communicate and move on?

Funny, I thought I was speaking English. I could ask a similar question about whether it's too much to ask a user to understand the technical requirements and terms used to install the products. I have, for instance, told you in fairly simple terms why DNS is necessary and you still question whether it should be used. How simple do you want the answers to be? I've also asked you to provide details of the operating system and Zimbra version & release that's installed, I don't see any answers for that.

The point of these forums is to help you with any technical problems you may have with Zimbra, it isn't a forum for telling you how to set-up your system and do the installation for you. Help has been provided in the forums, documentation and wiki that will get you started if you read it. We're willing to help but you must at least meet us some way by understanding what's required to get the product running. Many of your problems stem from the fact you've not read the documentation nor followed the guidelines in that.

[Jimbo99]

Phoenix,

Your help is appreciated. My explanation of speaking English was a way to let you know my motivation for my first statement, not as a criticism of you.

If _my_ router can't be the DNS server then I don't think this will work. Or rather it should not be working for anyone anywhere, no? I don't want to use this server as a dns server and thus create issues with how the router works.

I submitted the information requested above. From that the other guy that replied probably can help me out.;

[phoenix]

No, you router can't be the DNS server because you'll need to create DNS A & MX records. DNS won't interfere with the router and you'll need a Split DNS set-up.