Re: [msmtp-users] Relay problems

[Martin Lambers <marlam@...23...>]

On Thu, 28. Dec 2006, 13:17:39 +0100, Przemyslaw Gawronski wrote:
> > The message from the SMTP server suggests to either use SMTP
> > authentication ("auth on" in .msmtprc) or use your pop/imap account
> > before sending mail.
> 
> If I set "auth on" I get this:
> 
> msmtp: cannot use a secure authentication method
> msmtp: could not send mail (account tanren from /home/gawron/.msmtprc)
>
> So my smtp serwer doesn't support authentication :(

The message means that msmtp could not use an authentication method that
does not send the password in cleartext. It is still possible to use
SMTP authentication.

You have two options:

- Find out which authentication methods your server supports with this
  command:
  msmtp --serverinfo --account=tanren
  The server will probably support the PLAIN and/or LOGIN methods.
  Then force msmtp to use one of these methods with "auth plain" or
  "auth login". The downside is that your password will be send in
  cleartext. That's why msmtp must be forced to use these methods.

- Use TLS encryption.
  Again, you can use 
  msmtp --serverinfo --account=tanren
  to find out if the server supports this. If so, enable it with 
  "tls on". Even if the server does not seem to support it, you could
  try "tls on" with "tls_starttls off". This method uses a different
  port on the server, that's why --serverinfo does not test it.
  With TLS enabled, all your communication with the SMTP server will be
  encrypted, including the PLAIN and LOGIN authentication methods, so
  msmtp can automatically use them without sending your password in 
  cleartext.

Using TLS is the preferred method. 
  
> By 'using my pop/imap' account you mean to login to it? 

Yes. That is called SMTP-after-POP. It is sometimes used as a replacement
for direct SMTP authentication.

> Well I forced fetchmail to pickup (that is logging in) anything from
> it just 2 seconds before trying to send and I still get the same
> message :(

Then SMTP-after-POP seems to be broken for your SMTP server.
But that's not a problem if SMTP authentication works.

Regards,
Martin