Scalix 11.30 in a Linux "Vserver" guest OS.

[declanmullen]

Hi

Has anyone had experience running Scalix 11.30 in a Linux "Vserver" guest OS ? In particular a version of Vserver less than "2.3". If so, how did you satisfy the scalix documentation's stated requirement that localhost resolves to "127.0.0.1", see http://www.scalix.com/wiki/index.php?title=Manual_Installation#Network_Configuration

I ask because my Vserver guest OS does not have a "127.0.0.1", it doesn't even have a lookback interface, and I don't know how to create one.

Does scalix 11.30 and its dependencies (eg apache2, sendmail, progresql) absolutely need "localhost" to resolve to "127.0.0.1" ? or can it work correctly when localhost resolves to one of the server's other network interface ip addresses ?

BTW, both the vserver "host" and "guest" OSes are Debian Etch with its vserver version "2.0.2.2".

I've thought of a number of ways of resolving the localhost issue (see http://list.linux-vserver.org/archive?mss:749:200802:jbaegdilonefbldfbggn), but I don't know which way is the best for scalix.

Many thanks,
Declan

[christoph.lukas]

Hi,

we are running Scalix 11.3 on a Debian Etch Vserver on a Debian Etch Host system (stock Debian kernel) for some time now without any major problems.

As far as I remember the only problem was setting up sendmail / postfix to send outgoing mails. The normal scalix setup relies on sendmail listening on 127.0.0.1.

As it is not possible to have sendmail / postfix listening on 127.0.0.1 I have setup a second interface for the vserver using a private ip (192.168.x.x), configured postfix to listen on this ip and configured scalix to deliver mails to this ip for delivery to external addresses.

1) Setup a second interface for the vserver on the host:

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mkdir /etc/vservers/<name>/interfaces/1
echo '192.168.x.x' > /etc/vservers/<name>/interfaces/1/ip
echo 24 > /etc/vservers/<name>/interfaces/1/prefix


2) Setup your /etc/hosts like this:

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<external ip> <fqdn> localhost

3) Configure postfix to listen to this ip in /etc/postfix/main.cf:

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inet_interfaces = 192.168.x.x

4) Confgure Scalix to deliver mails for external addresses to this ip in /var/opt/scalix/<instance>/s/sys/unix.mapper:

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transport-service = inet:192.168.x.x:25

Please let me know if this does not work for you.

Regards,
Christoph

[declanmullen]

Many thanks Christoph for the above info. I'll try it out.

I believe that the ip address of an additional interface in the guest (like the 192.168.x.x you have setup) get re-mapped within the kernel to the guest's first ip address (ie interfaces/0/ip). So you'll have your postfix listening (and possibly accepting connections) on both the first interface (possibly LAN connected) as well as the additional ip address. If the first interface is connected to the LAN, may be this is a security risk.

Thanks again,
Declan

[christoph.lukas]

Hi Declan,

hm. But Scalix itself is listening on port 25 of the external address. If the 192.x.x.x address would be remapped to the external address this would not be possible, would id?

lsof -i shows the postfix master listening on port 25 of 192.x.x.x and Scalix's omsmtpd on the external ip port 25.

If I telnet the box from external to port 25 I can see the Scalix smtp greeting.

Cheers,
Christoph

[declanmullen]

What you say is very convincing, I'll have to re-check my understanding of additional interfaces.