Is Spamassassin compatible with MDIR method?

[Mark Champion <ma...@bigdaddyo.com>]

I'm having trouble configuring spamassassin version 3.0.2 running on Perl
version 5.8.4.  I'm runing Ubuntu Linux 5.04 (Hoary).  I'm using Dovecot
version 0.99.13 and Postfix version 2.1.5-9.  I also have Squirrelmail
version 1.4.4.  All of this is installed and appears to be working
properly - except for spamassassin.

I have configured Dovecot to use the MailDIR method of mail storage rather
than Mailbox.  I wonder if this method of mail storage is making it
difficult to make spamassassin work.

I envoke spamassassin via my user .procmailrc file, which I copied from
/usr/share/doc/spamassassin/examples/procmailrc.example.

I tested it by manually envoking spamassassin with the sample-spam.txt and
sample-nonspam.txt files and they both seem to be processed correctly. 
Then I emailed the GTUBE string to myself (from an outside account), but
spamassassin failed to process it and it was delivered without any
problem.

I tried using the suggested .forward file.  This broke my email (caused
all incoming email to be sent to /var/mail rather than Dovecot).  I did
note that the emails in /var/mail were apparently processed by
spamassassin.  After searching the web, I see that the .forward file is
not needed in Linux (because Linux automatically looks for .procmailrc). 
So I'm confused whether or not the .forward file should be there (and what
it does).

I don't have a good understanding of how mail moves from postfix to
Dovecot and how it should get from postfix to procmail to spamassassin to
Dovecot.  My only idea at this point is to reconfigure Dovecot to use the
Mbox method and retry configuring procmail/spamassassin.  I'm hoping
somebody will have a suggestion.

Mark

Re: Is Spamassassin compatible with MDIR method?

[mouss <us...@free.fr>]

Mark Champion wrote:
> I'm having trouble configuring spamassassin version 3.0.2 running on Perl
> version 5.8.4.  I'm runing Ubuntu Linux 5.04 (Hoary).  I'm using Dovecot
> version 0.99.13 and Postfix version 2.1.5-9.  I also have Squirrelmail
> version 1.4.4.  All of this is installed and appears to be working
> properly - except for spamassassin.
> 
> I have configured Dovecot to use the MailDIR method of mail storage rather
> than Mailbox. 

did you configure procmail to use maildir?
maildrop is probably an easier solution for you. if so, check the 
maildir readme on www.postfix.org.

  I wonder if this method of mail storage is making it
> difficult to make spamassassin work.

No. SA doesn't care. SA does not deliver mail.

> 
> I envoke spamassassin via my user .procmailrc file, which I copied from
> /usr/share/doc/spamassassin/examples/procmailrc.example.
> 
> I tested it by manually envoking spamassassin with the sample-spam.txt and
> sample-nonspam.txt files and they both seem to be processed correctly. 
> Then I emailed the GTUBE string to myself (from an outside account), but
> spamassassin failed to process it and it was delivered without any
> problem.
> 
> I tried using the suggested .forward file.  This broke my email (caused
> all incoming email to be sent to /var/mail rather than Dovecot).  I did
> note that the emails in /var/mail were apparently processed by
> spamassassin.  After searching the web, I see that the .forward file is
> not needed in Linux (because Linux automatically looks for .procmailrc). 
> So I'm confused whether or not the .forward file should be there (and what
> it does).
> 
> I don't have a good understanding of how mail moves from postfix to
> Dovecot and how it should get from postfix to procmail to spamassassin to
> Dovecot.  My only idea at this point is to reconfigure Dovecot to use the
> Mbox method and retry configuring procmail/spamassassin.  I'm hoping
> somebody will have a suggestion.
> 

you need to learn postfix. See www.postfix.org.
In short, postfix either delivers the message or hands it to an LDA 
(maildrop, procmail, ...) to deliver it. in all cases, mail is normally 
stored in a file (either an mbox or a maildir file). pop and imap 
servers will read this file.