Re: [cobalt-users] RaQ4: Forward Email To

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Herbert Malle wrote:

> If I use the function "Forward Email To", then the message is passed on to
> the indicated address.
> Despite the forwarding however a copy of the message is stored into the
> mailbox of the respective account.
> 
> Is this a normal process?

I've NOT seen that behavior.  The forward should create a record in
aliases, which should work to redirect the email.  For example:

[admin mail]$ grep foogle *
aliases:foogle:       foouser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Binary file aliases.db matches
virtusertable:foogle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx       foogle
virtusertable:@www.mailtraqna.com       foogle
Binary file virtusertable.db matches

Though the grep finds aliases first, the actual flow of mail is first
through virtusertable.  The incoming email matches at:

@mailtraqusa.com        %1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 which does not show up in the grep, because it doesn't have "foogle" in
it.  That line redirects it to foogle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (this is how
the Raq handles mail to "root" domains, if the proper checkmark is in
place in the domain gui).
foogle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is caught in the second trip through
virtusertable and assigned to local user foogle.  (Though sendmail
documentation says that mail only goes through virtusertable one time,
the documentation is wrong; the mail goes through virtusertable as often
as necessary, until it's redirected either off the box, or to a local
address, or for the maximum allowed before bouncing--I'm not sure; I
think it's 30 times.)

Since it's assigned to a local user (no "@" sign), it's then checked
against the aliases file.

If there's no forward there's no entry in aliases, and the mail gets
delivered locally.  If there IS a forward, there IS an entry in aliases
and the entry in aliases points out to wherever you set in the forward.

> How can I prevent that?

I don't know; you dind't give me enough details <frown>.  Did you ever
play with virtusertable or aliases?  What do you get in your
virtusertable and alias files when you add a forward?  Are you
completely up-to-date on your packages?

You can certainly figure this out yourself, though it may take a bit of
learning, studying, and trial-and-error.  Or you can hire someone to do
it for you (we do this kind of work for clients every day) but if you
have someone else do it you both spend money and lose the learning
opportunity.  That said, if this is something you need quickly and want
to pay for, give me a call or send an email <wry grin>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484