Re: IMAP Login fails

[Rick Stevens <ricks nerd com>]

Karl Pearson wrote:
> On Tue, September 16, 2008 11:03 am, Rick Stevens wrote:
> > Karl Pearson wrote:
> > > On Mon, September 15, 2008 5:49 pm, Rick Stevens wrote:
> > > > Karl Pearson wrote:
> > > > > I have a couple webmail applications: Squirrelmail and Hastymail (for
> > > > > WAP browsers, but it has a few bugs, but it's good to have it to test
> > > > > with)
> > > > >
> > > > > Since provisioning a new server, they won't authenticate. They did at
> > > > > first, but in fixing things, apparently I broke something. Since I did
> > > > > so much during the first hours bringing the server up, I have no idea
> > > > > what could have changed things to the point they are now.
> > > > Which "new server" did you provision...a new web server running the
> > > > Squirrelmail and/or Hastymail or a new IMAP server that the web server
> > > > is trying to authenticate against?
> > > >
> > > > > In either one, I enter my user name and password, and they respond, SQM:
> > > > > You must be logged in to access this page, and HM: Login failed.
> > > > Did you verify the firewalls permit IMAP service (TCP/UDP port 143) or
> > > > IMAPS (TCP/UDP port 993) if you're using IMAPS?  Did you verify the web
> > > > server can actually ping the IMAP server (you don't have a bogus route
> > > > in there somewhere, do you)?
> > > >
> > > > Can you get on the web server via a terminal and use telnet to log into
> > > > the IMAP service?  If you don't know how to do that:
> > > >
> > > > 1. On the web server, enter "telnet name-of-IMAP-machine 143"
> > > > 2. Eventually the IMAP server will respond "OK"
> > > > 3. Enter "1 login yourusername yourpassword"
> > > > 4. The IMAP server should respond "1 OK User logged in"
> > > > 5. Enter "2 logout"
> > > > 6. IMAP server should respond "2 OK User logged out" and the connection
> > > > should break.
> > > >
> > > > If you don't get a response at item 2 above, then either the IMAP server
> > > > isn't running an IMAP service or your firewall is blocking port 143.
> > > > You can see if IMAP is live by getting on the IMAP server and doing
> > > > the same 6 things, but using "telnet localhost 143" at step 1.  If that
> > > > works, then you've either got a firewall or routing issue.
> > > >
> > > > > I'm suspecting Dovecot or Apache, but can't see anything that might be
> > > > > causing it. I compare this setup to my previous (old HD mounted in an
> > > > > external USB housing)
> > > > Well, let's try the things I listed above first and see where that gets us.
> > > Nice... I broke it myself. The permissions of the php session directory was
> > > wrong. I had already gone through everything you said above, before I read
> > > this email. You know, sometimes I just get too smart for my own britches.
> > >
> > > The php session directory had the wrong group, so it couldn't write to it.
> > > But
> > > that only showed up in /var/log/httpd/ssl_error_log which is the last place
> > > I
> > > would have looked for php authentication errors. Not that it shouldn't be
> > > there, but I just don't know php very well. Oh, it WAS the last place I
> > > looked. I guess continuing to look for something after it's found is a sign
> > > of
> > > something I don't have yet.
> > They're called "senior moments" and I get them often.  :-)
> >
> > Glad you sorted it out.  You didn't state you were using secure http,
> > or I would've suggested that.  I assumed a normal Squirrelmail/IMAP
> > installation.  I know, never assume.
>
> You assumed right. I am NOT using 943/IMAPS which is why I wouldn't have
> thought to look there either.

I meant your connection to Squirrelmail.  It sounds like it's via https
on port 443 (which would require SSL), but I could be wrong.

> And I have senior moments as much as regular moments now... Grandkids do that
> to one, eh? :)

I wish I had such an excuse, Karl.  I'm 50, single and to my knowledge
never, uh, procreated.  At least no one's tried to claim paternity.  An
old "friend" told me I was the poster child for Planned Parenthood: a
big photo of me with the caption, "Don't let THIS happen again!"

:-)

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- Rick Stevens, Systems Engineer                       rps2 nerd com -
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