HowTo: MailScanner+Exim for FreeBSD

S

Shahid

Verified User
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
42
MailScanner Installation Guide – Exim (FreeBSD)

Exim: MailScanner + ClamAV + SpamAssasin for FreeBSD
  • Install HTML-Parser
  • Install SpamAssasin
  • Install MailScanner
  • Install ClamAV
  • Creating directory
  • Configuration: Exim
  • Configuration: MailScanner
  • Run and test
NOTE: Before you proceeding below, it is recommended that your ports (/usr/ports/) should be updated. If not then go to http://www.bsdguides.org/guides/freebsd/misc/update_ports_tree.php and follow the instruction.

============================
| Install HTML-Parser
============================
HTML-Parser is for parsing text formatted in HTML

# cd /usr/ports/www/p5-HTML-Parser
# make install


============================
| Install SpamAssasin
============================
# cd /usr/ports/mail/p5-Mail-SpamAssassin
# make install

Note: do not load SpamAssassin(spamd) and modify exim.conf to use SpamAssassin


============================
| Install MailScanner
============================
# cd /usr/ports/mail/mailscanner
# make install
# make initial-config


============================
| Install ClamAV
============================
# cd /usr/ports/security/clamav
# make install

Note: Don't worry about ClamAV Update, MailScanner will do it for you. There is no point running ClamAV(clamd) at the background process, MailScanner can still run ClamAV for you.


============================
| Creating directories
============================
We now need to create some directories and chown it.

Exim incoming spool directories:
# mkdir /var/spool/exim.in
# mkdir /var/spool/exim.in/input
# mkdir /var/spool/exim.in/data
# mkdir /var/spool/exim.in/db
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/exim.in
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/exim.in/input
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/exim.in/data
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/exim.in/db

MailScanner spool directories:
# mkdir /var/spool/MailScanner
# mkdir /var/spool/MailScanner/incoming
# mkdir /var/spool/MailScanner/quarantine
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/MailScanner
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/MailScanner/incoming
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/MailScanner/quarantine


============================
| Configuration: Exim
============================
We have to use two separate Exim processes daemons and each of the daemons must have it is own configuration file, so that the spool directories can be different. Incoming mail is accepted into one queue and outgoing mail is sent to different queue.

Create a backup:
# cp /etc/exim.conf /etc/exim.conf-backup

Copy:
#cp /etc/exim.conf /etc/exim_outgoing.conf

Using your favourite text editor (such as, nano, ee, vim, etc), we need to add some lines in configuration file.
# nano -w /etc/exim.conf

Add the following lines (After MAIN CONFIGURATION SETTINGS header):
log_file_path = /var/spool/exim/msglog/%slog
process_log_path = /var/spool/exim/exim-process.info
queue_only = true
queue_only_override = false


Modify startup Exim, we need to add another exim process.
# nano -w /usr/local/etc/rc.d/exim

-------------------
Original:
echo -n "Starting exim: "
daemon /usr/sbin/exim $EXIM_OPTS -oP /var/run/exim.pid
RETVAL=$?
-------------------
Change it to:
echo -n "Starting exim: "
daemon /usr/sbin/exim $EXIM_OPTS -oP /var/run/exim.pid
daemon /usr/sbin/exim -q15m -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf
RETVAL=$?
-------------------


============================
| Configuration: MailScanner
============================
# nano -w /usr/local/etc/MailScanner/MailScanner.conf

And modify these:
----------------------------
%org-name% = yoursite
(Do not use . (dot) in %org-name%)

Run As User = mail
Run As Group = mail
Incoming Queue Dir = /var/spool/exim.in/input
Outgoing Queue Dir = /var/spool/exim/input
MTA = exim
Sendmail = /usr/sbin/exim -C /etc/exim.conf
Sendmail2 = /usr/sbin/exim -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf
Virus Scanners = clamav
Always Include SpamAssassin Report = yes
#Spam List = ORDB-RBL SBL+XBL # MAPS-RBL+ costs money (except .ac.uk)
Spam List =
Use SpamAssassin = yes
#Enable Spam Bounce = %rules-dir%/bounce.rules
----------------------------

============================
| Run and Test
============================
# killall exim
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/exim start

# cd /usr/local/etc/rc.d/
# mv mailscanner.sh.sample mailscanner.sh
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mailscanner.sh start

Wait for few seconds, and then check the log:
# tail -f /var/log/maillog

Note: If you use see "MailScanner[98992]: User's home directory /var/mail/mail does not exist" this will show only for few seconds and it will stop – don't worry about this.


and now try to send an email to your box hopefully you won't get any error in maillog :)


When you receive an email – you should get something like this in email header:
X-CompayName-MailScanner: Found to be clean
X-CompayName-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam, SpamAssassin (score=2.147, required 6, FROM_ENDS_IN_NUMS 0.87, HTML_40_50 0.47, HTML_MESSAGE 0.00, MIME_MISSING_BOUNDARY 0.80)
Click to expand...

If you want to send some test viruses to your box then download some test viruses at http://www.eicar.org/anti_virus_test_file.htm (Download these files at your own risk!)


That it!
Hope you enjoy this HOWTO guide. Any problems, idea, tips or security - please feel free to post here.


Edit: I've tested with FreeBSD 4.9 and fully working, I can't guarantee if it work with 5.x properly.


Shahid Hussain
 
Last edited:
No, MailScanner moves the files from exim.in to exim.
 
Interesting I tested what you did and found a few issues on my install:

One everything seems to be working and I am able to send and recieve email BUT I don't see any header information that lets me know that the services are working properly. Here is a example of the maillog...

Code: 
Jun  9 01:51:05 dom MailScanner[42337]: MailScanner E-Mail Virus Scanner version 4.31.6 starting...
Jun  9 01:51:05 dom MailScanner[42337]: User's home directory /home/mail does not exist
Jun  9 01:51:05 dom MailScanner[42337]: User's home directory /home/mail is not writable
Jun  9 01:51:05 dom MailScanner[42337]: You need to set the "SpamAssassin User State Dir" to a directory that the "Run As User" can write to
Jun  9 01:51:09 dom MailScanner[42337]: Using locktype = posix
Jun  9 01:51:09 dom MailScanner[42337]: Creating hardcoded struct_flock subroutine for freebsd (BSD-type)

What should the "SpamAssassin User State Dir" be set to. Is't option is for individual users spamassassin configs?

Code: 
Jun  9 02:25:23 dom MailScanner[2685]: MailScanner E-Mail Virus Scanner version 4.31.6 starting... 
Jun  9 02:25:27 dom MailScanner[2685]: Using locktype = posix 
Jun  9 02:25:27 dom MailScanner[2685]: Creating hardcoded struct_flock subroutine for freebsd (BSD-type)

I also don't get mail on the test box when I check for mail but I do just after a restart...

humm something is wrong

I have check a few times that I followed the steps properly.

Any ideas?
 
Try:

# mkdir /var/spool/MailScanner/spamassassin
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/MailScanner/spamassassin

And set the "SpamAssassin User State Dir" directive to this directory.
 
I think this is because you have set something in "SpamAssassin User State Dir" in MailScanner.conf? and it could not write files to that dir.

I don't have anything in "SpamAssassin User State Dir = ".


Take a look, make sure you have:
MTA = exim
SpamAssassin User State Dir = (Dont put anything here)
Always Include SpamAssassin Report = yes

If you have made some change in MailScanner.conf then do:
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mailscanner.sh stop
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mailscanner.sh start

# killall exim
# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/exim start


Also make sure two running exim process is running at the background
# ps aux | grep exim

should return:
mail 30463 0.0 0.0 3568 0 ?? IWs - 0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -bd -q1h -oP /var/run/exim.pid
mail 30465 0.0 0.3 3568 308 ?? Is Mon06PM 0:00.15 /usr/sbin/exim -q15m -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf

This is normal if you see this, it is not an error:
Code: 
Jun  9 02:25:23 dom MailScanner[2685]: MailScanner E-Mail Virus Scanner version 4.31.6 starting... 
Jun  9 02:25:27 dom MailScanner[2685]: Using locktype = posix 
Jun  9 02:25:27 dom MailScanner[2685]: Creating hardcoded struct_flock subroutine for freebsd (BSD-type)


let me know if that fixed out.
 
Last edited:
I have checked the settings again and that does not seem to be the issue.

Exim appears to be working properly

Code: 
mail    69095  0.0  0.7  2772 1688  ??  Ss   11:20AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -bd -q1h -oP /var/run/exim.pid
mail    69097  0.0  0.7  2772 1688  ??  Ss   11:20AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -q15m -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf
root    69099  0.0  0.7  2784 1688  ??  S    11:20AM   0:00.07 /usr/sbin/exim -q
root    69101  0.0  0.7  2784 1688  ??  S    11:20AM   0:00.02 /usr/sbin/exim -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf -q
root    69180  0.0  0.7  2908 1780  ??  S    11:20AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf -q
mail    69181  0.0  0.7  2908 1800  ??  S    11:20AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -C /etc/exim_outgoing.conf -q
root    69470  0.0  0.7  2892 1768  ??  S    11:21AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -q
mail    69484  0.0  0.7  2908 1800  ??  S    11:21AM   0:00.00 /usr/sbin/exim -q

Now when I restart the maillog will continue to show over and over:

Code: 
Jun  9 11:35:32 dom MailScanner[71941]: MailScanner E-Mail Virus Scanner version 4.31.6 starting... 
Jun  9 11:35:32 dom MailScanner[71941]: User's home directory /home/mail does not exist 
Jun  9 11:35:32 dom MailScanner[71941]: User's home directory /home/mail is not writable 
Jun  9 11:35:32 dom MailScanner[71941]: You need to set the "SpamAssassin User State Dir" to a directory that the "Run As User" can write to 
Jun  9 11:35:35 dom MailScanner[71941]: Using locktype = posix 
Jun  9 11:35:35 dom MailScanner[71941]: Creating hardcoded struct_flock subroutine for freebsd (BSD-type)

Just leave the user state dir alone? Should't be set to something like "/var/spool/MailScanner/spamassassin"?

The mail now gets delayed like 10 minutes or more and it is not being scanned by anything. According to the headers...

Anywhere else I could have messed up your install?
 
existenz, try what I said. I didn't use this tutorial, but I had the same problem at first when I installed mailscanner.
 
existenz: I am not too sure why that happen to you. It work perfect on mine.

Yes I just leave "SpamAssassin User State Dir " alone and it work without error.

If you wanted me to take a look at your box to find a solution but that is your call.


Shahid
 
I was thinking of adding in the mailscanner directory manually but it is confusing that it is working but not tagging the mail. Just FYI this is a 5.2.x box but should not matter...

I will try to figure out the solution...
 
I am running 4.9 and having the same issue.

Messages get delivered, slowly, but no scanning appears to be done. Message delivery si quick if I stop/start the daemons.

So far I followed all the steps in this thread.
 
Last edited:
brundle said:
I am running 4.9 and having the same issue.

Messages get delivered, slowly, but no scanning appears to be done. Message delivery si quick if I stop/start the daemons.

So far I followed all the steps in this thread.
Click to expand...

How much RAM do you have in your box? you might be running out of memory when you have loaded MailScanner.


-----------------------------------------
# How many MailScanner processes do you want to run at a time?
# There is no point increasing this figure if your MailScanner server
# is happily keeping up with your mail traffic.
# If you are running on a server with more than 1 CPU, or you have a
# high mail load (and/or slow DNS lookups) then you should see better
# performance if you increase this figure.
# If you are running on a small system with limited RAM, you should
# note that each child takes just over 20MB.
#
# As a rough guide, try 5 children per CPU. But read the notes above.
-----------------------------------------


Take a look in mailscanner.conf

Max Children = 5

try change it to: Max Children = 1

then restart MailScanner, see if that make any different.
 
wdv said:
Try:

# mkdir /var/spool/MailScanner/spamassassin
# chown mail:mail /var/spool/MailScanner/spamassassin

And set the "SpamAssassin User State Dir" directive to this directory.
Click to expand...

Tested...tested and tested some more. Every box I tried the howto had the same problem. I think dual 2.8 Xeon's with 2GB of Ram would not be that slow. As soon as I manually configured the above it worked. I thought that was the problem and it turned out to be.

I just don't see in the headers where it said the mail is being scanned by MailScanner or SpamAssassin. I know SpamAssassin is working because my Spam mailbox is not getting any mail.
 
Setting a value for the 'SpammAssassin User State Dir' didn't help for me - same symptoms - extremely slow delivery.
 
Same here.

On a FREEBSD 4.9 box.

I have updated the ports before the installation (CUP). But on 4.9 I do not get the latest versions of mailscanner.

Also Exim log shows errors. It seems like the 2 exim deamons have time-outs. Like the waiting for port 25 to come free. Hense the slow delivery.
 
I am not too sure why you getting problems.. I have repeated this HOWTO on second server without a problem..

if you want me to take a look at your server to fix mailscanner issue for you then email me at shahid[AT]zonewave[DOT]net

Shahid
 
We had similar problems until we added the following to exim.conf:

spool_directory = /var/spool/exim.in

Otherwise mail was being spooled in the same area that the outgoing exim process was using. Thereby MailScanner was never picking it up. Hope this helps someone.
 
If you want to have it installed on FreeBSD, please contact me. I'll install it for a low price, I have done it a few times now so it won't be a problem for me.

Contact me at [email protected]

(Remove all the -)
 
mcc235 said:
spool_directory = /var/spool/exim.in
Click to expand...

That did it for me. The tags are available.

Edit:
It works now. I forgot the tag clamav as virusscanner :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top