----- Original Message -----
From: "David Christian" <dchristian at users.sourceforge.net>
To: <tclug-list at mn-linux.org>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 16:10
Subject: [TCLUG] Sendmail and DSL


> I can't seem to send mail from Linux using mutt and sendmail.  The linux
> machine is on LAN behind behind a Router, and so doesn't have a valid IP
> address or domain name.
>
> Does anyone know how to configure sendmail so that the various MTAs out
> there will believe me about who I am?  Do I somehow need to relay to
> Qwest.net's mail router?
>
> Here is a sample message I got back from NCSU:
>
> ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
> rousseau at csc.ncsu.edu
> (reason: 501 <dchristi at goliath.qwest.net>... Sender domain must exist)

*Runs screaming in terror*

The last time I saw this error I was led into the bowels of sendmail.cf and
the rewrite rules...  I certainly hope someone out there has a better
solition, or a firmer understanding of the one I was forced to use anyway.

The problem is that the receiving mail server looks at "goliath.qwest.net"
and tries to do a lookup on it to make sure it's a valid domain.  Since it's
a machine name within the qwest.net domain (I'm assuming) it naturally
doesn't find it.

I ended up configuring sendmail to strip the hostname portion of the sender
address and fixed it that way - but I'm not a mail admin and I'm pretty sure
that was the wrong way to correct the problem.