Jack's Formmail PHP not sending email on ASO host

The techies there claim, "scripting error" or "spam filter"

[albo]

Please understand, beforehand, I'm no PHP geek. I'm using vanilla Formmail PHP script source fetched from dtheater website.

Another website suggested I get around "register globals" limitations by inserting import_request_variables("gpc"); at the beginning of the script. This I did.

The domain is set up with its MX records pointing to Google Apps for Your Domain (gmail), if that matters.

To add to the puzzle (as if that weren't enough), during testing, the "recipient" is set up to send form output to the webmaster's email address, rather than the owner of the domain.

At any rate, the techies at the hosting company see no reason why all this shouldn't be okay. They say it's either a scripting error or a spam filter. The script works fine for another client hosted on Yahoo! and the webmaster has no spam filter...

I (the so-called webmaster) am at wit's end and would welcome suggestions for further diddling. (Please explain carefully as, again, I'm no PHP geek.)

[coopster]

So the bottom line is your email is not leaving the server? Can you check the mail queue to see if it gets queued up or not? Also, have a look at your logs because if there is an error it will show there. As far as getting trapped in a spam filter, try to test send a message to an email account that you have where you can either bypass spam filters or look in a spam folder for that mailbox.

Another website suggested I get around "register globals" limitations by inserting import_request_variables("gpc"); at the beginning of the script. This I did.

That was not very good advice. Security is not something you should be bypassing and there is a reason that the script fails if you have to use patchy workarounds to get it functioning. The formmail script you are using is sub-par and I would highly recommend you develop your own or find something else.

[albo]

Indeed the bottom line is that the email is not leaving the server. I haven't checked the mail queue. There's no message in the logs.

Insofar as other scripts are concerned, I tried a phpFormgen available via Fantastico and another (I forget its name... I'm rather exhausted by now...)

I also tried a Perl script downloaded from Sourceforge.net

All these failed with the same symptom.

The host techies thought my "sendmail()" was incorrectly coded even though I had told them I was using "mail()" (?)

So, for now, I'm using a hosted off-site form service (jotform).

Since this host is new and "still under warranty" I think I shall chicken out, withdraw, and regroup elsewhere. My bad.

Thanks for tolerating me on this one.

[coopster]

No worries.

PHP's mail() function invokes the sendmail utility on the server. There is an optional parameter that you can pass to sendmail that you may consider trying. Example 3 on the PHP manual page for mail [php.net] demonstrates it's use.

[IanKelley]

1) The application is simple.
2) Application works on another host.
3) Completely different applications fail with identical symptoms.

From a tech troubleshooting perspective there's only one conclusion: The problem is almost definitely on your host's end. If they won't help you, leave.

[stevenjm]

glad i found this thread, ive been scratching my head for hours now trying to get formmail.php to work on ASO

They are generally really good hosts, i dont understand why they have not resolved this

[albo]

I left, and the script worked

[stevenjm]

heres the response i got from ticket:

Hello Steven,

I do believe formmail has been blocked on ASO servers. So that I may better assist you, I have moved your ticket to our level 2 support department. Thanks!

the next reply told me i should use cgi version.

explains why half my scripts have been having problems.

[stevenjm]

i have found them to be a really good host but i'll move because of this