mail function problem

HI,

I have a script which is using the mail function, mail($nummer, "",$message,"From: messagecenter@message.dk");

It has worked smoothly for a while but suddenly stop working. I approached my hosting company, but they couldn’t help me. The httpd.conf files should be ok enabling php. ISP is using a linux box. The script is running on a virtual host.

Has anybody encountered the same kind of problem?


Thanks in advanc

Henrik


[This message has been edited by blicher (edited June 27, 2000).]

Is it giving you any errors, like 'cannot connect' or just appearing to work but the mail never gets sent?

we just had this problem and work because the php.ini file wasn't editing to show the correct path to sendmail. when we finally edited the php.ini file, we then found out we were supposed to be editing the php3.ini file....anyways...check for the correct path to sendmail in the php.ini (php4 usually) or the php3.ini file (php3)

---John Holmes...

Hi John,

It does not give any error messages. It just appear to work. I checked the httpd.conf file but it appears to be ok, so I contacted by isp to investigate. They provide the php service but they don't support third party scripts. I don't know much about the set up on a Linux box running virtual hosts, but I would assume it would be a configuration problem from my ISP? They will have to check the php.ini on the root? or am I wrong.

reards
Henrik

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SepodatiCreations:
Is it giving you any errors, like 'cannot connect' or just appearing to work but the mail never gets sent?

we just had this problem and work because the php.ini file wasn't editing to show the correct path to sendmail. when we finally edited the php.ini file, we then found out we were supposed to be editing the php3.ini file....anyways...check for the correct path to sendmail in the php.ini (php4 usually) or the php3.ini file (php3)

---John Holmes...[/quote]

You could run phpinfo() and see what it says about the sendmail setup. Try this in a script called info.php3:
<?php
phpinfo();
?>
This will show all the php settings including the mail path etc.
Hope this helps.

------------------
webpatron.com

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by blicher:
HI,

I have a script which is using the mail function, mail($nummer, "",$message,"From: messagecenter@message.dk");

It has worked smoothly for a while but suddenly stop working. I approached my hosting company, but they couldn’t help me. The httpd.conf files should be ok enabling php. ISP is using a linux box. The script is running on a virtual host.

Has anybody encountered the same kind of problem?
(edited June 27, 2000).][/quote]

I work for an ISP and do some PHP support. Question: How do you know it stopped working? ie. Your friend that gets e-mailed stop getting them? Or does it e-mail you?
What tests do you do to determine when it's working?

Does your script use HTTP_POST(GET)_VARS and maybe they turn track_vars off?

Another possiblity is they have been put on something like ORBS or RSS. Make sure they're mail servers are not open relays, ask them "is your mail server an open relay?" They'll get mad if it isn't.(that's a good thing), if they don't know...I'd suggest you switch ISPs.

------------------

you seem to be missing some quotes

mail($nummer, "",$message,"From: messagecenter@message.dk");

mail("$nummer","" ,"$message","From: messagecenter@message.dk");

Hi Dave,
The script I'm using is sending an e-mail message to a cellular phone (sms message). I'm using the post method. I did run a info() script telling me that the path for send mail is the following "/usr/sbin/sendmail -t".

I have tried to set up the maillinglist example form this site as well and it does not work either. i.e. the recipient does not receive an e-mail.

I will ask the ISP if "is your mail server an open relay?" and see what's happening.


thanks
Henrik
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dave Bryant:
I work for an ISP and do some PHP support. Question: How do you know it stopped working? ie. Your friend that gets e-mailed stop getting them? Or does it e-mail you?
What tests do you do to determine when it's working?

Does your script use HTTP_POST(GET)_VARS and maybe they turn track_vars off?

Another possiblity is they have been put on something like ORBS or RSS. Make sure they're mail servers are not open relays, ask them "is your mail server an open relay?" They'll get mad if it isn't.(that's a good thing), if they don't know...I'd suggest you switch ISPs.

[/quote]

I just went through this with my service provider. PHP was looking for sendmail in /usr/sbin/sendmail. Problem was the system had been upgraded and sendmail is in /bin/sendmail. They did a symbolic link for me that directs PHP to the right location.

Thanks Joel,

I went back to ISP and they did change the path after I made a reference to this discussion (seems we should advatise ISP names here to get some action), however this didn't help an my ISP claims that not all php functions works on their servers. Fortunately, I'm hosting at another company as well, and I managed to call the script from that site, where it works. However, my remaining problem now is to catch the variables I passed to the script at the remote site, and using these in a thanks.html

But I will have to studdy the use of global variables further.

Thanks anyway.

Henrik