# sendmail: Cannot open mail: 25

## smuck

hi, i've just installed 1.4_rc4 and i'm getting the following error - sendmail: Cannot open mail: 25

any ideas as to how i can get rid of it?

thanks

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## carrett

it's probably cron trying to do something. if you're not using sendmail otherwise, i would reccomend replacing /usr/sbin/sendmail (which should now be a symlink to /usr/sbin/ssmtp) with the following script:

```
#!/bin/bash

echo ${*} > /dev/null

exit 0
```

 and chmod +x /usr/sbin/sendmail

that'll get rid of the errors...if you want to use sendmail/ssmtp then you gotta configure it (i don't know how, there's a howto most likely).

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## credmp

Hi,

Or if you want to use mail facilities just emerge postfix (you will need to unmerge ssmtp IIRC).

I don't know if 1.4_RC4 puts anything in a cron per default, but it does look like it.

also see this thread which discussed somewhat the same problem and a fix for cron statements to not output any data and thus not send e-mail  :Wink: 

regards

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## pjp

Moved from Installing Gentoo.

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## smuck

ok, after a little digging around, i think i've fixed the problem.

it turns out this sendmail error was caused by the /etc/cron.daily/slocate script.  the script executes the updatedb command, but encounters an error because the slocate group does not exist.  so the solution is to add the slocate group.  the problem was fixed with groupadd slocate.

thanks for replying, i think either solution would have worked as well.

the following thread was very helpful.

[url]

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=48736&highlight=slocate+group

[/url]

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