SMTP Return-Path Setting

On the PHP documentation page for mail():

The additional_parameters parameter is disabled in safe_mode and the mail() function will expose a warning message and return FALSE when used.

This means that applying your patch will render mimemail inoperable for anyone running safe_mode. That would be bad :).

By setting Return-Path and Errors-To headers, mimemail can convince most MTA's to set the correct envelope sender for your messages. In cases where this won't work, you would be better off using the SMTP Authentication module as a mimemail backend, which covers more bases.

Thanks!

For anyone who does decide to use this patch, there is a little bug in it that caused me a bunch o' gray hair (http://drupal.org/node/297048). There should not be a space after the -f option. Here's an updated patch without the space.

For my application I need to be able to set various envelope sender addresses for various types of outgoing messages, for correct bounce handling among other reasons. The attached patch adds an advanced option for setting the envelope sender address, and it will not cause the problem Allie noted at #1, as it checks the safe_mode ini setting before calling mail() with the $additional_parameters.

mfb: Isn't that a different issue?

Has the return path problem of this module still not been solved? I'm having the same issue: When the mime mail module is enabled and used, the Return Path module doesn't have any effect and the return path is set wrong.

@yan: I'm glad you brought this up, as I was recently looking at the Return Path module and noticing that it doesn't work with Mimemail. Perhaps another way to resolve this issue would be to patch the Return Path module to function as a backend for Mimemail? I haven't yet had a chance to look into this.

I too found the returnpath module, and realised it doesn't work with mimemail. I need this functionality. My version of the patch also allows for the sender name to be in the format "Site Name" <user@example.com>, which I enable in a custom module like so:

/**
* Implementation of hook_mail_alter().
* Here we allow the site name to be used as the senders name for outgoing email.
* see http://drupal.org/node/209672
*/
function mymodule_fast_mail_alter(&$message){
  $default_from = variable_get('site_mail', ini_get('sendmail_from'));

  if($message['from'] == $default_from){
    $message['from'] = '"'. variable_get('site_name', 'Drupal') .'" <'. $default_from .'>';
    $message['headers']['From'] = $message['headers']['Sender'] = $message['headers']['Return-Path'] = $message['headers']['Errors-To'] = $message['headers']['Reply-To'] = $message['from'];
  }
}

Hello mrfelton ,

Your solution works fine! I did something similar, (see http://drupal.org/node/338123 #5), but your solutions is nicer..

Thank you.

Patch doesn't work with safe_mode.

SAFE MODE Restriction in effect. The fifth parameter is disabled in SAFE MODE.

We have to check the safe_mode first and we shall pass the additional parameter to the mail() function according to the result.

I am attaching a revised patch of #7.

Sorry, in my patch the if statement is wrong. I attached the good one, please use this.

Patch #10 does NOT work with mimemail + simplenews: Every time a message is sent with simplenews, error log shows that the message has not(!) been sent successfully.

Patch #4 works fine.

When will a fine working version of this patches be applied to mimemail?

@DrupalFan2: Please, read the documentation about issue status settings.

I am attaching a new patch against current HEAD with Return-Path handling retrieved from Drupal 7.

Thanks sgabe!

The patch mimemail.261028_04.patch (#13) seems to work for me with drupal 6.19.

sgabe: regarding the patch in #13, why do you check if the return path has already been set in the server configuration ($return_path_set = strpos(ini_get('sendmail_path'), ' -f');)?

I just had to apply your patch in a shared hosting environment where the sendmail_path by default contained a return path (set in the VirtualHost directive in httpd.conf) that I didn't want to use, causing the patch to do nothing. I changed the patch so the return-path is always set by the script, regardless of the php configuration:

+      // If 'Return-Path' isn't already set in php.ini, we pass it separately
+      // as an additional parameter instead of in the header.
+      // However, if PHP's 'safe_mode' is on, this is not allowed.
+      if (isset($message['headers']['Return-Path']) && !ini_get('safe_mode')) {
+        $message['Return-Path'] = $message['headers']['Return-Path'];
+        unset($message['headers']['Return-Path']);
+      }

Do you have a use case where the -f option of the send_path value of the php configuration must have preference over the return-path value set by the Drupal module?

@marcvangend: The patch is retrieved from D7, it's original issue is #131737: Ensure that the Return-Path is set when sending mail on both Windows and non-Windows systems.. I guess if the -f parameter has already been set in php.ini and we don't check that, it results in sendmail being called with two '-f' parameters, which is not so good. However I think you should share your opinion and ask your questions in the original issue.

subscribing

It doesn't work for me. It seems that sendmail -f doesn't accept <mail@example.com> (resulting in no mail being sent at all) format, but it'll work with mail@example.com.

My quick and dirty hack (line 145 of mimemail.module):

$message['Return-Path'] = trim($message['headers']['Return-Path'], '<,>');

Also, it seems that I don't need this patch at all, I get the Return-path without the -f option anyway.

Following works for me. I needed to get bounces to the email I set as "From"
I applied the attached patch to mimemail-6.x-1.0-alpha8 version.
It works great.

Works for you but will throw an error for anybody who uses safe mode. You should reroll and test the patch in #13.

After I sent a newsletter this came up. SMTP Error: Could not connect to SMTP host.. I did not get an email.

What shall I do?

Any help would be much appreciated.

subscribing

I am attaching a new revised patch against the current development snapshot.

New patch on the basis of #18.

Committed to the development snapshot.

@LUTi

My environment is linux. Mime Mail sent the email through email engine drupal_mail() and the email was OK. SMTP is the issue. I don't know where the php.ini settings? Do you have any suggestion or do you have more questions?

SMTP is the issue

Then you should try in the SMTP issue queue.

I know that this issues is closed.
I just wanted to say thanks to @LUTi for sharing the custom module. Save the day for me. I moved to new hosting where I could not use a setting in a custom php.ini.

Your custom module works great!

Thanks and God Bless!
Frederick