Mail catching smtp timeout when running in background

[istvano]

Hi Guys,

I have a very strange issue but I do not how I could debug it any further.

1, if I run mailcatcher in the foreground -f -v

a, web interface works perfectly
b, smtp receives emails flawlessly

2, if I run it in the backgroud

a, web interface works
b, smtp interface does not respond.

Dec 22 12:34:24 sendemail[10247]: ERROR => Timeout while reading from localhost:2525 There was no response after 60 seconds.

If I want to telnet into it I CAN!

It is not a port issue as I run the test on the same computer and when it is in foreground mode it works.

I do not see any error logs anywhere. is there a way to enable some debug mode so that I can see why the smtp timeouts ?

Any idea what can be wrong ?

my ruby version is -> ruby 1.9.3p547 (2014-05-14 revision 45962) [x86_64-linux]
my mailcatcher version is mailcatcher (0.5.12)

My local gems:
*** LOCAL GEMS ***

activesupport (3.2.19)
bigdecimal (1.1.0)
builder (3.2.2)
bundler (1.5.3)
chef (11.16.4)
chef-zero (2.2)
coderay (1.1.0)
daemons (1.1.9)
diff-lcs (1.2.5)
docile (1.1.5)
erubis (2.7.0)
eventmachine (1.0.4)
ffi (1.9.5)
ffi-yajl (1.1.0)
haml (4.0.6)
hashie (2.1.2)
highline (1.6.21)
i18n (0.6.11)
io-console (0.3)
ipaddress (0.8.0)
json (1.8.1, 1.5.5)
libyajl2 (1.0.1)
mail (2.6.3)
mailcatcher (0.5.12)
method_source (0.8.2)
mime-types (1.25.1)
minitest (2.5.1)
mixlib-authentication (1.3.0)
mixlib-cli (1.5.0)
mixlib-config (2.1.0)
mixlib-log (1.6.0)
mixlib-shellout (1.6.0)
multi_json (1.10.1)
mysql (2.9.1)
net-ssh (2.9.1)
net-ssh-gateway (1.2.0)
net-ssh-multi (1.2.0)
ohai (7.4.0)
plist (3.1.0)
pry (0.10.1)
rack (1.5.2)
rack-protection (1.5.3)
rake (10.1.1, 0.9.2.2)
rdoc (3.9.5)
rest-client (1.6.7)
rspec (2.14.1)
rspec-core (2.14.8)
rspec-expectations (2.14.5)
rspec-mocks (2.14.6)
rspec_junit_formatter (0.1.6)
ruby-shadow (2.3.4)
simplecov (0.9.1)
simplecov-html (0.8.0)
sinatra (1.4.5)
skinny (0.2.3)
slop (3.6.0)
sqlite3 (1.3.10)
systemu (2.6.4)
thin (1.5.1)
tilt (1.4.1)
wmi-lite (1.0.0)

[istvano]

Please note I have tried different ports from 1025 like 2525 to see if this helps but. it does not. when running in daemon mode ( background ) the smtp does not work properly.

[cseeger]

+1, same issue as described.

[AntoineAugusti]

I think that it has something to do with the updated dependencies. Right, old and working ones. Left, new and not working ones.

http://puu.sh/dGlWf/cb4b0e8dd9.png

Temporary workaround: mailcatcher -f > out.txt&

[istvano]

Thanks for the info. I will try to run it in the foreground and put it into bg as you suggested

[rosstimson]

We encountered this issue today, it cause much hair pulling :)

Running in foreground workaround fixed it for us.

[istvano]

Hi, I am changing my script to do this too. Although I was really worried as the only similar script is https://github.com/ian-kent/Go-MailHog and I really do not want to upgrade as in the project we use vagrant boxes for the devs and each has mailcatcher.

It would be nice to find out what breaks this. Unfortunatelly I am not a ruby guy and I can not see any log message anywherer.

Thanks

[r4m]

+1

[yatsenko]

I have the same issue. Ubuntu 14.04

[liuruting]

+1, i am having the same issue as described.

[kevinsheffield]

+1

[glebtv]

Problem is Process.daemon here:
https://github.com/sj26/mailcatcher/blob/master/lib/mail_catcher.rb#L177
I think it should be used before calling EM.run
If I move Process.daemon to beginning of that file, it works

[bmishkin]

+1, 0.5.12, ruby 2.1.5, OS X 10.10.1

running in foreground workaround works.

[vnagasivam]

+1, 0.5.12, ruby 2.1.5, OS X 10.10.1

The foreground workaround works for me too.

[rubemz]

+1, ruby 2.1.2p95, , OS X 10.10.1

The foreground workaround works for me.

[corykeane]

+1 - super frustrating. Glad it at least works in the foreground.

[joshmanders]

👍

[adahl]

+1

[benjaminwood]

👍

[soullivaneuh]

Exactly the same problem, and workaround.

In addition, if you run mailcatcher as daemon and try to quit from the interface, this will redirect you to mailcatcher homepage but won't kill the concerned process.

[soulim]

Just got the same issue, and seems like it somehow depends on Ruby version.

The mailcatcher as a daemon doesn't work on Ruby 2.1.5p273, and everything works perfectly fine on Ruby 2.1.3p242.

I haven't changed anything on the project except Ruby version. The daemon stopped working after upgrade to Ruby 2.1.5.

[danlo]

+1, I encountered this when upgrading from Rails 4.1.x to Rails 4.2. I traced it down to: net/smtp

The version of ruby remained the same: ruby 2.1.5p273

Right before it sends the email

# byebug break point
b /usr/local/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/smtp.rb:555
c

Net Smtp id file (/usr/local/lib/ruby/2.1.0/net/smtp.rb:555)
# $Id: smtp.rb 45111 2014-02-22 05:39:58Z naruse $

Actual code

def do_start(helo_domain, user, secret, authtype)
  raise IOError, 'SMTP session already started' if @started
  if user or secret
    check_auth_method(authtype || DEFAULT_AUTH_TYPE)
    check_auth_args user, secret
  end
  s = Timeout.timeout(@open_timeout, Net::OpenTimeout) do
    tcp_socket(@address, @port)
  end
  logging "Connection opened: #{@address}:#{@port}"
  @socket = new_internet_message_io(tls? ? tlsconnect(s) : s)
  check_response critical { recv_response() }  # <--- recv_response() doesn't get anything; ERGO; time out.

When running in the foreground (as above) the message received is:

"220 EventMachine SMTP Server"

When running in background mode; the message is not received

[danlo]

I solved the problem for myself by installing eventmachine 1.0.3

 gem install eventmachine -v 1.0.3
 gem uninstall eventmachine -v 1.0.4

and then restarting mailcatcher.

[juukie]

@danlo that worked for me too! 👍

[sgb-io]

@danlo +1, also fixed for me

[benjaminwood]

Thanks @danlo, that does the trick!

[eikes]

👍 @danlo

[drmikecrowe]

👍 @danlo

[kyleries]

👍 @danlo

[Penderis]

Thank you for this, hours of reading articles where it just all about port 1080 and no one cares about 1025. This helped save my sanity. @danlo

[davidochoa]

👍 @danlo, thanks!

[klein0r]

Nice solution @danlo ! Thanks!

[sj26]

Seems to be a bug in the latest version of EventMachine, sadly. -.-

The reason it doesn't daemonise until after the eventmachine loop is running is so that port failures can be reported to the user.

I'll see what's going on upstream in eventmachine. But honestly eventmachine has become a major pain. May see if there's a feasible alternative, maybe even going back to the standard library with a custom select loop.

[bludzhd]

@danlo, Thank you soo much!

[alextakitani]

@danlo, Thank you!!!

[danlo]

@sj26 Someone mentioned on another thread; but could we have a new release of the existing code, but just forcing event machine at 1.0.3?

[davidahopp]

I issued a pull request as a temporary fix that forces the version of eventmachine to be less than 1.0.4. If that is not used, eventmachine will default install 1.0.4 which will cause the timeout issue

[sj26]

This does seem to be an eventmachine regression.

Please try mailcatcher 0.6.0pre1 (gem install mailcatcher --pre) which restricts eventmachine to != 1.0.4. This is only a temporary release until I can fix the eventmachine problem to fix ruby 2.2 compatiblity, or replace eventmachine with something else.

[felixbuenemann]

@chrishough eventmachine 1.0.3 is not compatible with ruby 2.2, so you need to use ruby 2.1 or older.

[matthewbarram]

I have the same issue. Running as mailcatcher -f works for me too.

[sj26]

@matthewbarram please try mailcatcher 0.6.0pre1 (gem install mailcatcher --pre).

[JackEllis]

@sj26 Just came to report this exact bug. Brought in the 0.0.0pre1, as you suggested, and I can now run it fine without --foreground - thank you 👍

[sj26]

This has been worked around in 0.6.0, please upgrade with gem install mailcatcher.

The root cause of this has also been lodged as an issue upstream:

eventmachine/eventmachine#569

[andydempster]

@sj26 Sorry to jump-start this again but I don't think it's fixed and having spent the best part of 4 hours of unpaid work playing with this I'm cross! This was a completely clean install this morning.

ruby 1.9.3p484 (2013-11-22 revision 43786) [x86_64-linux]

Clean install today and updated to 0.6.0
*** LOCAL GEMS ***

activesupport (4.2.0)
daemons (1.1.9)
eventmachine (1.0.5)
i18n (0.7.0)
json (1.8.2)
mail (2.6.3)
mailcatcher (0.6.0)
mime-types (2.4.3)
minitest (5.5.1)
rack (1.6.0)
rack-protection (1.5.3)
sinatra (1.4.5)
skinny (0.2.3)
sqlite3 (1.3.10)
thin (1.5.1)
thread_safe (0.3.4)
tilt (1.4.1)
tzinfo (1.2.2)

It's working with the -f -v options but nada in the background.

/usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/protocol.rb:146:in rescue in rbuf_fill': Timeout::Error (Timeout::Error) from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/protocol.rb:140:inrbuf_fill'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/protocol.rb:122:in readuntil' from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/protocol.rb:132:inreadline'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:929:in recv_response' from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:552:inblock in do_start'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:939:in critical' from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:552:indo_start'
from /usr/lib/ruby/1.9.1/net/smtp.rb:519:in start' from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.6.3/lib/mail/network/delivery_methods/smtp.rb:112:indeliver!'
from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.6.3/lib/mail/message.rb:2141:in do_delivery' from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/mail-2.6.3/lib/mail/message.rb:238:indeliver'
from /var/lib/gems/1.9.1/gems/mailcatcher-0.6.0/bin/catchmail:71:in <top (required)>' from /usr/local/bin/catchmail:23:inload'
from /usr/local/bin/catchmail:23:in `

'

[sj26]

Ah, I see:

eventmachine (1.0.5)

They must have released a new version which has broken my fix. I'll look into it again.

[ianks]

👍

[sj26]

mailcatcher 0.6.1 is out which works with eventmachine up to 1.0.5, and restricts future upgrades.

[andydempster]

@sj26 downloading now and will report back, many thanks for monitoring this, great response.

[andydempster]

@sj26 It works! Thanks again for your timely update.

[sebasjimenez10]

@danlo 👍

[jmnewman]

not sure if this is still open, but I am running into this problem where mailcatcher has stopped working. Nothing that I know of has changed (other than switching between a lot of branches) and I can't find any error messages showing where something might be breaking. right now in development I can see the emails being sent in the logs, but they're not popping up in mailcatcher. here's my set up

• Rails 4.2.6
• ruby 2.2.2p95
• mailcatcher 0.6.4

I have tried @danlo tip and it didn't work (ended with a result similar to @chrishough) and tried running with mailcatcher -f -v and installing gem install mailcatcher --pre and still am not getting it to work. are there any other workarounds?

[pedro-stanaka]

I still have this problem, only able to use it in foreground. Otherwise it simply crashes the smtp interface.
I'm using:

• ruby 2.3.0p0 (with rvm)
• mailcatcher 0.6.4
• eventmachine 1.0.9.1