The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Stupid, but extremely ravenous!

Email Report Plugin - Version 3.3 - User Guide

Filename: plugin_blatt_report

Offline Manual

You are reading this offline manual for this plugin. The links to the right navigate through the offline information. The links above and to the left link to www.ravenousbugblatterbeast.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. If you downloaded the plugin from somewhere else, or downloaded it some time ago, I recomend you check for an updated plugin. Note that the on-line manual may have been updated even if the plugin hasn't.

Server Security

  • Although you have to install it, you do not need to run IIS. If you do not want your machine to act as an IIS web server with all the security risks that creates, you can disable the World Wide Web Publishing service through the Services Applet. You do not need to install the IIS ftp server, but if you have you can also disable that service.
  • If you have once, you do not need to open any incoming ports on your fire wall. The SMTP service will only make outgoing TCP connections to other mail servers, and DNS queries to resolve host names.

Troubleshooting

Message files are left in the "Messages" folder and not sent.
Either the SMTP service isn't running (check in the services applet), or you did not run the setpickup.vbs file correctly.
No message files are left in the "Messages" folder, but they are left in C:\Inetpub\mailroot\queue (with a weird file name).
The SMTP service tried to connect to the recipients mail server but failed. It will retry according to the schedule set in the IIS administration program in administrative tools. If it continues to fail to deliver them for 2 days it will move them to badmail.
No message files are left in the "Messages" folder, but they are left in C:\Inetpub\mailroot\badmail (with a weird file name).
There will normally be an explanation in the message or another file with the same name. Messages can be bounced when sent to some recipient servers as they cannot authorise your SMTP server as a valid server for the from address of your e-mail message. Most e-mail servers (e.g. hotmail) don't bother to check this; those with spam filters may do so.
To make your server pass such a check you must register its IP address Internet DNS server and add a DNS MX record for the server. You must then use a from address in the correct domain. e.g. If you registered your server in DNS as halflife-mail.mydomain.com then your from address for e-mail messages must be something@mydomain.com for them to pass the authorisation check.