Can't get zimbra installed, stuck at initializing ldap

[superboer12]

I recently discovered Zimbra and I immediately got interested in it. I first tested on a Debian 3.1 VMWare installation. This went fine and now I want to install it on my real server.

This server also runs Debian 3.1 (with all updates installed).
Unfortunately this gives me a little more problems.
I can't get it installed. I get stuck at 'Initializing ldap'. It takes forever and the cpu load from the installer is gone after a few seconds.

I tried several things, but I can't find the problem.

I attached the zmsetup log file.
Notice that I Ctrl-C out the installer, which causes the ldap_bind error.

Does someone sees the problem or have any idea?
Thanks in advance!

ps Using Zimbra 4.05 for debian

[brian]

Hi,

I'm glad your trial went well and you are happy with Zimbra ZCS. A production email server is somewhat useless without proper DNS. Your problem with ldap binding is directly related to the DNS errors that the installer warned you about.

You're server must have a network interface configured that matches the server name, this needs to be resolvable either by DNS or the local /etc/hosts file. Add proper A, PTR and MX entries in DNS and an entry in /etc/hosts and you should be set.

BTW, this is covered in the Installation docs and numerous forum posts.

[superboer12]

I indead saw the DNS errors. But I don't know exactly what goes wrong and maybe even more important how to fix it.

I have set the hostname in the zimbra setup to netserver.roma.dc
A 'nslookup netserver.roma.dc' command returns the IP of the mail servers LAN interface.
The domain name is set to myinternetdomainname. The MX record for this domain doesn't point to my internet IP, because my ISP is using smarthosting. So everything that is send to myinternetdomainname on port 25 will go to my mailserver, but not directly but through an ISP mailhost.

[brian]

Are you positive about the nslookup results. According to the installer you have for interfaces configured,

Interface: 10.0.0.1
Interface: 192.168.10.10
Interface: 127.0.0.1
Interface: 10.0.1.1

netserver.roma.dc must resolve to one of those ip's in order for ldap to properly start. If this is all set correctly take a look at the wiki guide for ldap.
http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?tit...artup_failures

Make sure you don't have any firewalls blocking port 389 and disable selinux if appropriate for you distro.

[superboer12]

netserver.roma.dc resolves to 10.0.0.1, the LAN interface.

I managed to get Zimbra installed now. Flushing iptables and reapplying my firewall rules made it work.

Now I get another problem.
Zimbra is fully running on the server.
When I try to access the web client I get the login screen. After logging in I get stuck at 'Loading'.
When I flush iptables (so no more firewalling) I can login and I get the webclient after about 1 second of 'Loading'.
Same story for the web admin console.

I am accessing the server from the LAN (10.0.0.0/24). Nothing from the LAN is blocked by the firewall.
I don't experience this problem with any of the other services running on this server. (http, ftp, mysql, smb etc).

I attached the list of firewall rules active on the system.

[jholder]

Try checking the error console:
also, check the /opt/zimbra/log/zimbra.log

Maybe there's something in the log

[superboer12]

hmm today I can't get connected to the web interface at all
After entering the URL in the client loading takes a long time which is followed by a 'cannot load page' error. Telnet on the client can connect to the http port of zimbra, so the firewall isn't blocking this. (after connected nothing happens like with the browser)

I can connect to LDAP on my server using 'telnet netserver.roma.dc 389'.
If I connect with telnet on the server to the http port of zimbra it gives the same result as telnetting from the client.

When I look at the zimbra.log error message I guess something goes wrong with the database connection under my firewall rules ("com.zimbra.cs.service.ServiceException: system failure: getting database connection").

I attached a part of syslog and zimbra.log.
I also attached some information given by the commands 'lsof' and 'ps'.
I hope it's usefull.

[phoenix]

The recommended configuration in the Zimbra Quick Start Guide is no firewall and no SElinux, they both cause problems. Does it work if you disable the firewall?

[superboer12]

yep like mentioned in a previous post all problems disappear when disabling the firewall. But server needs the firewall. (also acts as gateway).

[phoenix]

Then you'll continue to have problems, a mail server shouldn't be installed on the gateway/firewall - it should be installed on a separate server inside the firewall.