Window XP sending mail

[micksheff]

Hi

Iam using xampp to test scripts before uploading to my hosts server. Some of my scripts require user login/activation by sending mail.

How could I use/setup xampp to sendmail, I get error messages everytime I try?

BTW they are PHP scripts I'm using.

[taustin]

Hi

Iam using xampp to test scripts before uploading to my hosts server. Some of my scripts require user login/activation by sending mail.

How could I use/setup xampp to sendmail, I get error messages everytime I try?

BTW they are PHP scripts I'm using.

PHP's normal method of sending email is through Sendmail, which is a *nix program that isn't part of the normal Windows system. The Windows version of Sendmail will send out through a standard email server, if it's set to. If you check in the xampp folder, you'll find a folder called apache, and one in that called bin. That seems to be the default install location for php.ini, which has your PHP settings. In php.ini, you'll find, somewhere in the middle, the following section:

[mail function]
; For Win32 only.
SMTP = localhost

; For Win32 only.
sendmail_from = postmaster@localhost

If your ISP allows you to send email through their server without any kind of user name or password, you can change "localhost" to their smtp server, and the sendmail_from to whatever address you want that email to be from.

If your ISP requires some kind of authentication on their smtp server, you will have to jump through a few more hoops. Xampp comes with Mercury (though it might be better to download the latest version directly from the author at www.pmail.com), which can send directly, or relay through your ISP's mail server with a user name and password.

Try setting the SMTP setting to your ISP's mail server, and see if it works. If it doesn't, let me know and I'll try to walk you through setting up Mercury correctly. (It wouldn't hurt to call your ISP and ask them if they block outgoing port 25 - it will save you some time figuring out why stuff won't go if they do.)

[JonathanS]

I'm on 2KPro, and I would like to know how
to setup Mercury to work as its own SMTP server.

My ISP (EarthLink) blocks port 25 and askes
for authentication for outgoing mail.

If not that, then how would I @least set
it up to act as a reply to my ISP's SMTP server?

Thanks,
- Jonathan

[taustin]

I'm on 2KPro, and I would like to know how
to setup Mercury to work as its own SMTP server.

My ISP (EarthLink) blocks port 25 and askes
for authentication for outgoing mail.

If not that, then how would I @least set
it up to act as a reply to my ISP's SMTP server?

If EarthLink is blocking port 25 (and unwilling to unblock for you) and wants authentication, you're stuck with using Mercury (or some other mail server) as a relay. One note: Mercury will not run as a service by itself. That means you have to have the machine logged in. If that's a problem, you need to either find a mail server that runs as a service, or figure out how to use svrany or firedaemon to run it as a service. The Mercury mailing list (http://www.pmail.com/support2.htm, at the bottom) can help on that, but it's not an issue for me, so I haven't ever figured it out.

I'm told some people have problems with the installer for Mercury that comes with xampp. It wouldn't hurt to go to http://www.pmail.com/ and download the current version and use that. It's free.

You want MercuryS SMTP Server, and MercuryC SMTP Relaying Client. The installer will ask some basic questions, which will hopefull be obvious. MercuryS will accept mail from PHP, and MercuryC will relay it to Earthlink's mail server with SMTP AUTH. The setup screens are under the Configuration menu.

One note: Either make sure you have no incoming port 25 traffic, or set up MercuryS to prevent relaying. Spammers will find an open relay, and abuse the living hell out of it until Earthlink shuts you down.

If there's anything that you can't figure out on the various screens, feel free to ask.

[JonathanS]

The Mercury/32 with XAMPP seems to be working fine;
fired right up. Is there a way to configure that to reply email?

All I need to do is send email, to test some PHP scripts,
as I have XAMPP setup only as a test server.

Another reason I ask if this one w/ XAMPP can work
is because its on a external harddrive that I only turn
on to backup files and use XAMPP (my PC has very small hard drive).

[taustin]

The Mercury/32 with XAMPP seems to be working fine;
fired right up. Is there a way to configure that to reply email?

All I need to do is send email, to test some PHP scripts,
as I have XAMPP setup only as a test server.

Another reason I ask if this one w/ XAMPP can work
is because its on a external harddrive that I only turn
on to backup files and use XAMPP (my PC has very small hard drive).

All you need to do is configure MercuryC (on the Configuration menu in Mercury).

Smart Host Name is your ISP's SMTP server. Port should be 25. Announce myself as can be anything. Username and Password in the next section down are what you put in your email program to send email.

That should be it.

Alternately, you could configure a local user in Mercury, and test by sending email to that address, if all you're doing is testing.

Since it's not on most of the time, (anti spam) relay settings aren't going to matter much.

[micksheff]

Thanks very much taustin it works

[mail function]
; For Win32 only.
SMTP = smtp.blueyonder.co.uk

[JonathanS]

I don't have a 'MercuryC' on the configure menu.
I have...

MercuryS, MercuryE, MercuryD, MercuryP,
MercuryX, MercuryH, MercuryI. X is task sched., H is 'PH Server'.

Also reading online through EarthLink's site, I can't
find anything about them blocking Port 25; I tried
telnet mail.gamerdesigns.com 25 <-- and it connected.

I'll start messing with PHP first, than MercuryS I guess.

[taustin]

I don't have a 'MercuryC' on the configure menu.
I have...

MercuryS, MercuryE, MercuryD, MercuryP,
MercuryX, MercuryH, MercuryI. X is task sched., H is 'PH Server'.

Below those, there should be a listing for "Protocol modules." That will bring up a screen where you can check the box for MercuryC.

You must quit Mercury and restart it for that change to take effect.

Also reading online through EarthLink's site, I can't
find anything about them blocking Port 25; I tried
telnet mail.gamerdesigns.com 25 <-- and it connected.

I'll start messing with PHP first, than MercuryS I guess.

If you can telnet out on port 25, then you should be able to use MercuryS, and it will work better anyway. You shouldn't need to set much up on it, though it might not hurt to turn on session logging for debugging.