I have a constant large number of items in my sendmail queue, most of them containing "Deferred: Invalid argument" in the "q" file.
I know most of these should be deliverable, but it seems sendmail is somehow sending something stupid to the receiving server (if it's even trying that at all) or something else, because these sit here for 5 days then hit my "postmaster" address.
It seems the majority of these emails are bounces.
In other words - my mail server is having problems delivering some bounces, so they sit for 5 days and then bounce into my postmaster account.
I notice that they all have a strange line: H?P?Return-Path: <g>
In case you can't see it - there's a strange character before the "g" (in "vi" it shows up as <<81>g>). This may or may not be a problem? I've no idea where it came from.
Below is an example file (domain names have been changed to protect against spam, but otherwise it's unedited). The RPF line is a valid email address (well, it was before I obscured it to protect against spam). It happens to be my own address, on a different server running the same version of sendmail as the server having the problem sending it.
Any help, clues, hints, advice, or anything you can provide would be most welcome!!!
[root@my mqueue]# pwd
/var/spool/mqueue
[root@my mqueue]# grep -l "Deferred: Invalid argument" * |wc
39 39 663
[root@my mqueue]# dir *fi9PMqwvt019196
-rw------- 1 root smmsp 1414 Oct 25 23:59 dfi9PMqwvt019196
-rw------- 1 root smmsp 896 Oct 27 08:42 qfi9PMqwvt019196
[root@my mqueue]#
[root@my mqueue]# cat qfi9PMqwvt019196
V6
T1098748757
K1098866550
N33
P2970000
I104/2/9831242
MDeferred: Invalid argument
Frns
$_localhost
$r
$slocalhost
${daemon_flags}b h
${if_addr}127.0.0.1
SMAILER-DAEMON@maindomain.
com
MDeferred: Invalid argument
Ccnd:500:500:cnd
rRFC822; postmaster@otherdomain.com
RPF:"cnd@recipient.net.au"
H?P?Return-Path: <g>
H??Received: from localhost (localhost)
by otherdomain.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) id i9PMqwvt019196;
Mon, 25 Oct 2004 23:59:17 GMT
H?D?Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 23:59:17 GMT
H?F?From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON@maindomain.
com>
H?x?Full-Name: Mail Delivery Subsystem
H?M?Message-Id: <200410252359.i9PMqwvt0191
96@otherdo
main.com>
H??To: postmaster
H??MIME-Version: 1.0
H??Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-statu
s;
boundary="i9PMqwvt019196.1
098748757/
otherdomai
n.com"
H??Subject: Postmaster notify: see transcript for details
H??Auto-Submitted: auto-generated (postmaster-notification)
.
[root@my mqueue]#
[root@my mqueue]# cat dfi9PMqwvt019196
This is a MIME-encapsulated message
--i9PMqwvt019196.109874875
7/otherdom
ain.com
The original message was received at Wed, 20 Oct 2004 23:13:02 GMT
from localhost
with id i9KMWfDp019382
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<jamas@xyzwebmail.net>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
<jamas@xyzwebmail.net>... Deferred: Invalid argument
Message could not be delivered for 5 days
Message will be deleted from queue
--i9PMqwvt019196.109874875
7/otherdom
ain.com
Content-Type: message/delivery-status
Reporting-MTA: dns; otherdomain.com
Arrival-Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 23:13:02 GMT
Final-Recipient: RFC822; jamas@xyzwebmail.net
Action: failed
Status: 4.4.7
Remote-MTA: DNS; ns3.xyzwebmail.com
Last-Attempt-Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 23:59:17 GMT
--i9PMqwvt019196.109874875
7/otherdom
ain.com
Content-Type: text/rfc822-headers
Return-Path: <MAILER-DAEMON@maindomain.
com>
Received: from localhost (localhost)
by otherdomain.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) id i9KMWfDp019382;
Wed, 20 Oct 2004 23:13:02 GMT
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 23:13:02 GMT
From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <MAILER-DAEMON@maindomain.
com>
Message-Id: <200410202313.i9KMWfDp0193
82@otherdo
main.com>
To: <jamas@xyzwebmail.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-statu
s;
boundary="i9KMWfDp019382.1
098313982/
otherdomai
n.com"
Subject: Return receipt
Auto-Submitted: auto-generated (return-receipt)
--i9PMqwvt019196.109874875
7/otherdom
ain.com--
[root@my mqueue]#
