Unable to debug mail settings

[plb]

I am trying to get my server to send email using the appropriate SMTP settings. The error I get is "Mail ERROR" which doesn't give me a clue where to start. Is the problem on my dev server or with the SMTP settings or should I be using TLS instead of SSL or what?! Typically SMTP reports an error number and an error text - I think it's necessary to get these values reported back to administrators to enable them to properly configure the server to send email.

(Perhaps this should be documented in requested features rather than a bug, but the resulting situation is so opaque for configuration that I feel it moves into the "necessary" functionality, thus a bug report... Just my opinion.)

[mudmin]

SMTP email settings are the bane of my existence. Seriously.

You're right on the feedback though. Most of the time, I find that feedback in my server logs. It's not necessarily passed back to the application. I think the main reason for this is that it would be a security vulnerability. If a malicious app knew why it wasn't able to connect, it could brute force more easily.

I also agree with you on the save, then test thing. I'll add that to the bug report.

What server/hosting provider are you using? That's really more @brian 's domain, but I can take a crack at figuring out what's wrong.

[plb]

I had set up a "forwarder" type of email rather than one with a mailbox of its own. Apparently this type of user (on 1and1.com servers) doesn't allow for logging into the SMTP server to send a message. I deleted the user and added it again as a "basic" email account (one with a mailbox) and then everything worked.

[mudmin]

ahhhhhh. Yeah. That makes a ton of sense. I use those forwarders all the time. Never even thought about trying to "send" from one of those. Makes sense.