Exim/SendMail failure to load at startup

[Bill Eccles]

Joel et al,

I can’t figure out why StartupManager is reporting this error with every startup:

[code:1:5e710227f2]Jan 4 09:37:04 Centipede SystemStarter: Some startup items failed to launch due to conflicts: <CFArray 0xc740 [0xa01303fc]>{type = mutable-small, count = 1, values = ( 0 : <CFDictionary 0x15320 [0xa01303fc]>{type = mutable, count = 7, capacity = 11, pairs = ( 4 : <CFString 0x17400 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "Provides"} = <CFArray 0x17270 [0xa01303fc]>{type = mutable-small, count = 1, values = ( 0 : <CFString 0x17290 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "SMTP"} )} 6 : <CFString 0x850c [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "PathToBundle"} = <CFString 0x17520 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "/System/Library/StartupItems/Sendmail"} 8 : <CFString 0x172d0 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "Requires"} = <CFArray 0x172f0 [0xa01303fc]>{type = mutable-small, count = 1, values = ( 0 : <CFString 0x17310 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "DirectoryServices"} )} 10 : <CFString 0x17240 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "OrderPreference"} = <CFString 0x17b20 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "None"} 13 : <CFString 0x17350 [0xa01303fc]>{contents = "Uses"} = <CFArray 0x17370 [0xa01303fc]>{typ
Jan 4 09:37:04 Centipede SystemStarter: Startup complete. [/code:1:5e710227f2]

I figure it’s a conflict between SendMail, something else, and/or Exim. So here are the StartupItems.plists for each:

[code:1:5e710227f2][Centipede:Library/StartupItems/Sendmail] admin% more StartupParameters.plist
{
Description = "Sendmail mail server";
Provides = ("SMTP");
Requires = ("DirectoryServices");
Uses = ("Disks", "Network Time", "NFS");
OrderPreference = "None";
}[/code:1:5e710227f2]

[code:1:5e710227f2][Centipede:/Library/StartupItems/Exim] admin% more StartupParameters.plist
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple Computer//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Description</key>
<string>Exim mail server</string>
<key>OrderPreference</key>
<string>None</string>
<key>Provides</key>
<array>
<string>SMTP</string>
</array>
<key>Requires</key>
<array>
<string>DirectoryServices</string>
</array>
<key>Uses</key>
<array>
<string>Disks</string>
</array>
</dict>
</plist>
[/code:1:5e710227f2]
(You should know this one pretty well, Joel!)

I [i:5e710227f2]am[/i:5e710227f2]using Apple SMTP Mail Service on port 627 and it is instructed to “Start mail server at system startup” (according to Server Settings anyway).

Here’s what’s actually running when it’s all said and done:
[code:1:5e710227f2][Centipede:/Library/StartupItems/Exim] admin% ps -aux
USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TT STAT STARTED TIME COMMAND
root 296 6.0 3.0 23720 8816 ?? Rs 9:36AM 1:07.69 lookupd
root 496 3.0 0.7 62740 1932 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.25 AppleFileServer
admin 464 1.0 0.1 17152 412 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.11 /usr/sbin/sshd
root 569 0.4 0.2 34916 652 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.64 /usr/sbin/webperfcache
root 70 0.0 0.0 1316 104 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.00 dynamic_pager -H 40000000 -L 160000000 -S 80000000 -F /private/v
root 98 0.0 0.6 16140 1640 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:01.79 configd
root 132 0.0 0.3 15240 800 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.13 /System/Library/CoreServices/SecurityServer -X
admin 170 0.0 0.6 37316 1828 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.68 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Version
admin 196 0.0 2.2 25256 6596 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:03.16 /System/Library/CoreServices/WindowServer -daemon
root 220 0.0 0.1 1308 164 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.07 syslogd
root 242 0.0 0.1 17548 416 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.99 /sbin/autodiskmount -va
root 255 0.0 0.0 13584 136 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.01 /usr/libexec/crashreporterd
root 259 0.0 0.3 14392 832 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.10 /usr/sbin/mDNSResponder
daemon 261 0.0 0.0 1324 132 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.01 portmap
root 288 0.0 0.1 1312 156 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.01 nibindd
root 289 0.0 0.2 1700 548 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:02.01 netinfod local (master)
root 290 0.0 0.1 2216 436 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.04 netinfod network (clone)
root 331 0.0 0.1 14268 212 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/watchdog
root 332 0.0 0.2 15136 692 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.18 sambadmind -d
root 333 0.0 0.4 14344 1144 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.81 PrintServiceMonitor -x
root 340 0.0 1.6 28012 4600 ?? S 9:36AM 0:08.05 serversettingsd -x
root 341 0.0 6.3 39900 18568 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.89 MailService -n
root 342 0.0 1.2 20024 3532 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:01.35 /System/Library/CoreServices/coreservicesd -preload AEServer
root 344 0.0 0.4 15364 1200 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.15 MacintoshManagementServer -x
root 345 0.0 0.5 2824 1524 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.32 named -f
root 353 0.0 0.0 1296 84 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
root 354 0.0 0.0 1296 84 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
root 355 0.0 0.0 1296 84 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
root 356 0.0 0.0 1296 84 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.00 nfsiod -n 4
root 360 0.0 0.1 1872 164 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.41 /usr/sbin/sshd
root 373 0.0 0.2 15008 596 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.09 /usr/sbin/automount -f -m /Network/Servers -fstab -m /automount
root 376 0.0 1.2 23512 3444 ?? S 9:36AM 0:02.83 DirectoryService
root 386 0.0 0.3 17152 1000 ?? S 9:36AM 0:01.13 /usr/sbin/sshd
exim 399 0.0 0.1 2104 216 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.07 /usr/exim/bin/exim -bd -q1m
admin 402 0.0 1.4 36244 4012 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:01.35 /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/MacOS/logi
root 411 0.0 0.0 14684 120 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.00 /usr/sbin/QuickTimeStreamingServer
root 412 0.0 0.4 16872 1104 ?? S 9:36AM 0:00.47 /usr/sbin/QuickTimeStreamingServer
root 413 0.0 0.2 3764 472 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.03 perl /usr/sbin/streamingadminserver.pl
root 415 0.0 0.1 1556 308 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.12 ntpd -f /var/run/ntp.drift -p /var/run/ntpd.pid
root 428 0.0 0.0 1308 116 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.00 inetd
root 430 0.0 0.1 1768 344 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.03 xinetd -pidfile /var/run/xinetd.pid
root 431 0.0 0.2 3032 580 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:02.18 /usr/sbin/cupsd
root 436 0.0 0.1 13868 164 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.01 cron
root 442 0.0 0.1 20112 424 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.01 slapd
root 452 0.0 3.4 12960 10156 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:02.08 /usr/bin/spamd -d -a -F0
admin 458 0.0 0.4 14468 1196 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.74 /System/Library/CoreServices/pbs
admin 461 0.0 1.3 32492 3796 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.78 /System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/MacOS/Dock -psn_0
root 462 0.0 0.4 15504 1076 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.35 /usr/sbin/servermgrd -DSSL
admin 465 0.0 0.3 5872 832 std Ss 9:37AM 0:00.20 -tcsh (tcsh)
root 471 0.0 0.2 18192 600 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.28 slpd -f /etc/slpsa.conf
root 475 0.0 0.1 15456 236 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.06 /usr/sbin/servermgrd -DSSL
root 476 0.0 0.3 15776 1024 ?? S 9:37AM 0:02.83 /usr/sbin/servermgrd -DSSL
admin 484 0.0 1.1 34316 3212 ?? S 9:37AM 0:01.07 /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemUIServer.app/Contents/MacOS/S
admin 486 0.0 1.4 38376 4176 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.69 /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder -p
root 495 0.0 0.0 15580 72 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.00 AppleFileServer
root 507 0.0 0.4 15776 1096 ?? S 9:37AM 0:02.68 /usr/sbin/servermgrd -DSSL
root 558 0.0 0.6 15424 1680 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.38 /usr/sbin/httpd
root 560 0.0 0.1 1296 240 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/rotatelogs /private/var/log/httpd/error_log 2592000
root 561 0.0 0.1 1296 240 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.03 /usr/sbin/rotatelogs /private/var/log/httpd/access_log 2592000
root 562 0.0 0.1 1296 244 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.02 /usr/sbin/rotatelogs /private/var/log/httpd/access_log 2592000
www 563 0.0 0.4 15424 1036 ?? S 9:37AM 0:00.26 /usr/sbin/httpd
root 568 0.0 0.0 1376 88 ?? Ss 9:37AM 0:00.00 /usr/sbin/webperfcache
www 754 0.0 0.3 15424 1028 ?? S 9:42AM 0:00.11 /usr/sbin/httpd
root 1162 0.0 0.1 1372 320 std R+ 9:56AM 0:00.01 ps -aux
root 1 0.0 0.1 1308 276 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.03 /sbin/init
root 2 0.0 0.1 1844 168 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.18 /sbin/mach_init
root 51 0.0 0.3 15400 764 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:02.19 kextd
root 66 0.0 0.0 1292 104 ?? Ss 9:36AM 0:00.15 update[/code:1:5e710227f2]

So it’s pretty obvious that Sendmail never starts–it’s not in that list up there, at any rate. And all of the mail services work. And, curiously enough, there’s a line in /etc/hostconfig that explicitly says “MAILSERVER=-NO-“. (It’s almost as if that file’s being somewhat ignored. I’ve never been able to control Exim’s startup-or-not using that file. I’ve always had to comment out the conditional lines in the startup script for Exim.)

I suppose there’s one potential “obvious” problem, but I don’t know if it really is a problem or not: both Exim and Sendmail claim to provide SMTP services, but since they do it on different ports (25 and 627, respectively–provided I am actually controlling Sendmail settings using Server Settings), it doesn’t seem like that should be a huge issue. Since I don’t know where the MailService is controlled, I can’t see if there’s something funky going on there.

And, by the way, the whole shootin’ match works just great, except that every now and then the MailServer stops… and doesn’t restart.

Any thoughts?

Many thanks,
Bill

[Bill Eccles]

I guess the overall question here is, just why is Sendmail trying to start at all? Where do I gain control over that?

Thanks,
Bill

[Bill Eccles]

Is the “MailService” listed in the [i:80ac2cdf7f]ps[/i:80ac2cdf7f] listing the Apple Mail Service, then?

And how do I make sure that whatever I choose to do here won’t be accidentally overwritten by Server Settings?

Thanks again,
Bill[/i]

[Author]

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