SMTP server(qmail) won't start, no file /var/qmail/bin/relaylock

[Reggie Thomson]

My SMTP server (qmail) has been down for 2 days and won't restart.

I've tried restart from plesk -> server -> services management but it still has the red X

Connecting via abuse.net or pingability.com I get the following message:

<<< rblsmtpd: fatal: unable to run /var/qmail/bin/relaylock: file does not exist

I note that there was a failed update to Plesk v9.0.0 recently (will read other threads, but I would like to sort out this problem before retrying updates).

I also noticed from /var/log/messages that I appear to be under attack, e.g.:
Dec 11 12:49:22 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: START: smtp pid=21383 from=::ffff:67.218.180.132
Dec 11 12:49:24 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: EXIT: smtp status=111 pid=21380 duration=3(sec)
Dec 11 12:49:24 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: START: smtp pid=21384 from=::ffff:67.218.186.123
Dec 11 12:49:25 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: START: smtp pid=21385 from=::ffff:80.81.35.24
Dec 11 12:49:25 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: EXIT: smtp status=111 pid=21381 duration=4(sec)
Dec 11 12:49:25 ip-72-167-44-131 xinetd[19604]: START: smtp pid=21386 from=::ffff:67.218.186.122

I have blocked access to 67.218 via the command:
iptables --append INPUT --source 67.218.0.0/16 -i eth0 -j DROP

This didn't solve my problem (but did reduce the number of the attacks)

Any help would be most welcome.

Cheers, Reggie

 

[Reggie Thomson]

It seems that the problem relates to the failed update.

Opsys detected as: os_vendor=FedoraCore os_name=Linux version=7 arch=i686 environment=~empty Final opsys (with overriding) is: os_vendor=FedoraCore os_name=Linux version=7 arch=i686 environment=~empty Downloading the file products.inf3: 100% done.
Downloading the file .....

Determining the packages that need to be installed.
skip package 'plesk-base-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (s 0x9614080 source=0x95b0c88 P:16 R:14)' from component base - there is same or newer version of this package is installed (in system plesk-base-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (s 0x9614080 source=0x95b0c88 P:16 R:14))
skip package 'psa-fcgi-2.4.0-2.i386 (s 0x96130b0 source=0x95b0c88 P:42 R:16)' from component base - there is same or newer version of this package is installed (in system psa-fcgi-2.4.0-2.i386 (s 0x96130b0 source=0x95b0c88 P:42 R:16))
......

skip package 'psa-ftputil-1:2.1.1-0.98221.noarch (s 0x96216d8 source=0x95b0c88 P:48 R:0)' from component backup-ded - there is same or newer version of this package is installed (in system psa-ftputil-1:2.1.1-0.98221.noarch (s 0x96216d8 source=0x95b0c88 P:48 R:0)) Check package set before installation Downloading the file PSA_9.0.0/dist-rpm-FedoraCore-7-i386/base/plesk-skins-9.0.0-0.278956.noarch.rpm: skipped because of md5 checksum match.

....

Starting installation of packages
Warning: unresolved requires '/usr/bin/lp' from redhat-lsb-3.1-14.fc7.i386 (s 0x9632448 source=0x95b0c88 P:27 R:152)
Warning: unresolved requires '/usr/bin/lpr' from redhat-lsb-3.1-14.fc7.i386 (s 0x9632448 source=0x95b0c88 P:27 R:152)
Warning: unresolved requires '/usr/sbin/sendmail' from redhat-lsb-3.1-14.fc7.i386 (s 0x9632448 source=0x95b0c88 P:27 R:152) Installing the package psa-mail-driver-common-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (t 0xa71b320 source=0x97d6ed0 P:26 R:35), psa-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa6a68c8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:3632 R:85), psa-libpam-plesk-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa6aaae8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:17 R:6), psa-mail-qc-driver-1.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (t 0xa702f80 source=0x97d6ed0 P:25 R:43), psa-locale-base-en-US-9.0.0-08111414.noarch (b 0xa6a1b80 source=0x97d6ed0 P:1596 R:0), psa-api-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.noarch (b 0xa71c9b8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:971 R:8), plesk-skins-9.0.0-0.278956.noarch (b 0xa3edcf0 source=0x97d6ed0 P:6637 R:0), plesk-billing-6.0.0-20081206.12.noarch (t 0xa71c3f0 source=0x97d6ed0 P:6055 R:5), psa-fileserver-1.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa7165a0 source=0x97d6ed0 P:249 R:24), psa-backup-manager-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.i586 (b 0xa721d18 source=0x97d6ed0 P:392 R:6), psa-appvault-updates-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.noarch (t 0xa71a490 source=0x97d6ed0 P:1 R:1), cs-gs-2.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa715a90 source=0x97d6ed0 P:335 R:28), psa-manual-custom-skin-guide-9.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.noarch (b 0xa6f3e98 source=0x97d6ed0 P:98 R:1), psa-vpn-2.0.1-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa718ab8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:216 R:12), psa-api-rpc-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.noarch (b 0xa7240e8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:83 R:6), psa-bf1942-1.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa714590 source=0x97d6ed0 P:160 R:24), psa-bf2-1.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa715088 source=0x97d6ed0 P:175 R:23), psa-migration-manager-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.i586 (b 0xa7203d0 source=0x97d6ed0 P:278 R:48), psa-firewall-1.0.1-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa716b48 source=0x97d6ed0 P:135 R:20), psa-kav-1.0.0-fc7.build90081117.17.i386 (b 0xa717c98 source=0x97d6ed0 P:208 R:42), psa-watchdog-2.0.3-fc7.build90081117.17.i586 (b 0xa719328 source=0x97d6ed0 P:264 R:36), psa-updates-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.noarch (b 0xa7244d8 source=0x97d6ed0 P:1 R:3), psa-hotfix3-9.0.0-9.0.0-fc7.build90081208.08.i586 (b 0xa71fdd0 source=0x97d6ed0 P:56 R:3)
error: Failed dependencies:
psa-hotfix4-8.6.0 = 8.6.0 is needed by (installed) psa-hotfix5-8.6.0-8.6.0-fc7.build86080930.03.i586
ERROR: Unable to install the requested packages because either there is not enough free disk space left, or there are package dependency problems.
Warning! Not all packages were installed.
Please check if your system services are operable.
Please, contact product technical support.

Current system Plesk 8.6.0 upgrading to 9.0.0 on Fedora 7

 

[rcharamella]

Did you ever get a solution to this problem. The EXACT same thing is happening to me.

 

[Reggie Thomson]

In the absence of a response from Plesk, and given the seriousness of not having emails for two days on my server and for all my customers, I suspect my solution will be to ask Godaddy to reprovision the server, and then I will restore from remote ftp backup.

A friend had also suggested two more possibilities: use "yum remove qmail; yum install qmail" (but I dread to think what it would do the the plesk settings), or create a virtual machine and load it with the the same operating system (Fedora 7) and then copy the missing file across (again, I doubt if this would solve the problem in the absense of Plesk).

I shall wait until tomorrow morning to see if any other suggestions are forthcoming.

 

[Reggie Thomson]

I have now solved this problem.

From this post: http://forum.swsoft.com/showthread.php?t=56819 I did

yum remove psa-hotfix4-8.6.0 (where 8.6.0 came from the error email above)

Then I did an upgrade in plesk to version 9.0.0 (Ignoring the 8.6.0 upgrades that were available)

This was successful, except that initially I got an error when trying to log into Plesk:
"The file loger.php is part of Plesk distribution. It cannot be run outside of Plesk environment."

I was able to log in from the ip address (ip.ip.ip.ip:8443) without the error

There is a further update required, and then all services are working normally.

 

[Reggie Thomson]

Grr. I spoke too soon.

For a short while, qmail was running, and I have been able to try out the new 9.0.0 Plesk panel.

Unfortunately, it seems to have crashed again and won't restart. I'll have to investigate tomorrow.

 

[Reggie Thomson]

Well, it seems to be working fine, except that I have had to turn off SPF checking.

In Plesk "Services Management" the SMTP Server (Qmail) indicates "X" - off, but it seems to be working OK. Strange?

 

[Reggie Thomson]

Grr again. The SMTP server appears to have crashed again, and it might have happened after I switched on the watchdog. I have disabled the watchdog for SMTP Server (QMail) and IMAP/POP3 Server (Courier-IMAP), and trying to find a way to re-enable Qmail. These are problems with Plesk 9.0.0, so I still have the option of requesting a reprovision of the server back to the 8.6.0 version and restoring from remote ftp backup.

 

[rcharamella]

I contracted with Plesk support $75 per hour or incident. I spoke with them on the phone and they fixed the problem within one hour. Way better than the run around I received with Godaddy. It was money well spent.

Good luck

 

[ClassicTuxedo]

Reggie - Thank you so much for posting that. It definitely helped me!
I was able to upgrade to 9.0 after, but had to go back and fix a few settings...re-install horde and SpamAssassin, etc....
and then I was having major issues with my emails coming through unparsed, but disabling the SPF took care of that.

I wish I could say this was a smooth transition, but it definitely wasn't. Your post certainly helped make it easier, though!!!

Tom

 

[levelup3]

Thanks for all your post