How to change Return-Path email from Nobody?

[RobFerrari]

The return path contains the name "nobody". This will cause problems with filters. I searched through the templates, styles, and phrases and can't find where this is being set. Here's an email header as an example...

X-Apparently-To: [email protected] via 216.136.131.154; Sun, 30 Nov 2003 15:52:14 -0800
Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from 209.115.108.74 (EHLO server.ferrarichat.com) (209.115.108.74) by mta169.mail.scd.yahoo.com with SMTP; Sun, 30 Nov 2003 15:52:14 -0800
Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) (uid 99) by server.ferrarichat.com with local; Sun, 30 Nov 2003 18:52:12 -0500
To: [email protected]
Subject: (subj) test email as per rlay
From: "Doody @ FerrariChat.com" <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 18:52:12 -0500


Thanks,
rob

[Steve Machol]

The return path is added by the server. You'll need to change this at the server level.

[Freddie Bingham]

There is the -f option in the mail section of the vBulletin options that you can play around with.

[Steve Machol]

FWIW I tried the -f option with vB2 and it made no difference to the email address in the 'return-path'. I haven't tried this with vB3 yet.

[Freddie Bingham]

There are things involved in getting it to work outside of vBulletin. Perhaps this would be of some help.

To change the default sender on unix you must add -f to sendmail_path. For example in a <VirtualHost> directive:
php_admin_value sendmail_path "/usr/sbin/sendmail -t -i -f [email protected]"

would set the default return-path for mail from that virtual host.

[RobFerrari]

I think all admins need to do this for their boards as if "nobody" is a default return path on common configurations then that might be why so many users aren't receiving emails. "nobody" is filtered on almost all spam applications.

[RobFerrari]

I'm still having problems setting this. I pay my ISP to do some work for me and I sent them this task, they responded that it would be a setting in the software that does each call. I'm confused, here's their response...

"It appears it is a matter of replacing that in any php/html scripts that may be using the mail function."

So is it a global server setting or do I have to change it with each program that calls sendmail?

Freddie, it appears your solution is a global fix with just sendmail.

I did turn on the option in vB, I guess I should check it now.

[RobFerrari]

OK, I think I have it fixed the way I want. I turned the -f option on in vB and all the system generated emails have a return path of what I want.

Hopefully this takes care of my problem with filters.

Thank you everyone!

[RobFerrari]

Well, this has dominoed another problem. I'm receiving all the bounce backs from all outgoing emails. dozens and dozens an hour.

Where can I can change it to something other than nobody, so filters don't id it, but also something not valid so I don't get the bounce backs?

vB only has the option for -f on or off, where do I set the actual email address. I still need a valid email address for all the admin contact type stuff, but not all the system to user stuff.

Thanks

[Freddie Bingham]

You would have to manually change it in the vbmail() function in functions.php if you want it to be different than the email that you set in the options.

[Frugal]

You would have to manually change it in the vbmail() function in functions.php if you want it to be different than the email that you set in the options.

Or alternately you could use the -f function in the php.ini rather than in VB, mind you this is only suitable if you don't have other sites or pages on that server that need to use the php mail function with a different email address. This was the route I took with VB2.

Frugal