Mac OS X Server 10.4: "Bad address syntax error" message when sending e-mail using WebMail

Users who connect to a 10.4 server via its IP address instead of its fully qualified domain name (FQDN) may get this error when trying to send email via WebMail:

"501 Bad address syntax error".

Solution

Set the server's domain name in the SquirrelMail configuration file. You can do this by using the Terminal application to run an interactive configuration script with root privileges.

1. In the Terminal, type the following command, and then press Return:
   

   sudo /etc/squirrelmail/config/conf.pl

   
   
2. At the "Command >> " prompt, type the number 2 for Server Settings, and press Return.
3. At the "Command >> " prompt, type the number 1 to edit Domain, and press Return.
4. At the "[getenv(SERVER_NAME)]: " prompt, type your server's domain name, such as example.com, and press Return.
5. At the "Command >> " prompt, type the letter S to save your settings, and press Return twice.
6. At the "Command >> " prompt, type the letter Q to quit, and press Return.

Further information about configuring SquirrelMail is available in the Web Technologies Administration guide and in Mac OS X Server Help.