SMF 1.1.12 - member "announce" and "send" errors

[sharks]

Hi

One member on my forum is generating a couple of these errors. It seems that he somehow bypasses some stuff on the forum (i have no idea what or how he does it) but every few days when he's finished posting some new topics, i see several of these in my error log.

Koodi [Valitse] Laajenna

http://www.forum.info/smf/index.php?action=announce;sa=send
Only show the errors with the same message
2: mail() [<a href='function.mail'>function.mail</a>]: Could not execute mail delivery program '/usr/sbin/sendmail -t -i'
File: /home/sharks/forum/smf/Sources/Subs-Post.php
Line: 661

And currently there is only one instance of this error:

Koodi [Valitse] Laajenna

http://www.forum.info/smf/index.php?action=announce;sa=send
Only show the errors with the same message
Unable to send mail to the email address '[email protected]'

How is that member generating these errors? And how to prevent these errors?

[flapjack]

Maybe your host have limits imposed on the amount of emails you can send hourly/daily?
2.0 has nice queuing system for the messages, where you can specify how many you want to send/hr

[sharks]

Hi flapjack

My problem is that i don't want any of my members to be able to send emails to other members about their topics or announce their topics. I have disabled all the possible options, but i still get these errors and they are caused by a single stubborn member on my forum, who used to send his new topics to other members via their emails, like a spam machine! I tried to talk to the member but he doesn't understand much English, so the only way is to block whatever feature he is using to spam other members.

[JimM]

Could that member be inheriting the announce topic permission from a secondary membergroup?  That first error looks like your host has disabled the sendmail function.

[sharks]

I just got 38 pages of those same errors from the same member. That member doesn't understand English and is Spanish i think, so i can't communicate to him clearly. I have disallowed the announce topic permission. It as previously set to "disable". I don't know if that will make any difference, but i guess i'll know soon enough when that member goes on an announcing roll again.

[Bigguy]

Have you gotten this solved yet.

[sharks]

Nope. I constantly get these errors every few days whenever that troublesome member sends out announcements.

[Bigguy]

Have you completely Denied Announce topics for his user group.

[Mike Dolan]

I am having a problem with announce topics as well.  Its not quite the same problem as sharks but im hopeful you can help me as well.  I have a certain board that we announce every time a new topic is posted to certain member groups (Certain Employees)  Just recently though the announcements stopped coming through.  When i make the announcement as the admin it goes through its process and says 100% complete.  But no one gets the emails anymore.  Can this be because a setting got changed somehow?

Thanks for anyone's help

[Bigguy]

@ Mike Dolan: Has the server configuration changed or the php version changed. Are there any errors in the error logs either in the admin panel or in cpanel.

[Mike Dolan]

Listing of forum errors
Congratulations, no errors found! Thanks for checking.

and i havent changed anything in the forum except add a banner and change a theme but this happened way before i changed the theme

[Bigguy]

Did you check the error logs for errors. Has your host made any announcements about server configuration changes or php version changes or anything like that. It is unusual that a function would just stop working for no reason.

[Mike Dolan]

im not real good with the functions on the back end i have not gotten any announcement from my host or servers it also stopped notifying me and my admins when new members register as well.

How do i check the error logs?

[Bigguy]

Under the maintenance section of the admin panel should be a "Logs" area. (In 2.0) In the 1.1.x line it should be near the bottom of the admin section if I remember correctly. (Haven't used 1.1.x in awhile)

[Mike Dolan]

these are the most common errors in the error logs

hxxp:freemansecurityfl.com/forum1/index.php?action=logout;sesc [nonactive]
Apply Filter: Only show the errors with the same message
Unable to verify referring url. Please go back and try again.

hxxp:freemansecurityfl.com/forum1/index.php [nonactive]
Apply Filter: Only show the errors with the same message
8: Undefined index: users_active
File: /home/content/34/7177834/html/forum1/Themes/heliosmulti_smf20rc4/BoardIndex.template.php (main sub template - eval?)
Line: 407

hxxp:freemansecurityfl.com/forum1/index.php [nonactive]
Apply Filter: Only show the errors with the same message
2: Invalid argument supplied for foreach()
File: /home/content/34/7177834/html/forum1/Themes/heliosmulti_smf20rc4/BoardIndex.template.php (main_above sub template - eval?)
Line: 491

Im going to try and send an announcement right now and see if a new error comes up

[Mike Dolan]

just sent an announcement and no error came up but no emails got sent out

[Bigguy]

That really sounds like a server issue. Maybe checking with your host to see if they have mail working on the server. What are your mail settings set at in the admin panel Mail type usually should be set to PHP.

[Mike Dolan]

the email is set to php

my emails on the website its attached to are working fine it appears to just be the forum

[Bigguy]

Hmm, not sure what that would be then. It still sounds like something to do with the server to be honest. That is where I would start my searching anyway. Are there any errors in the logs in cpanel by any chance.

[Mike Dolan]

it had to be the theme i just reset the forum back to the regular default theme and sent an announcement and it came through!! 

I appreciate your help big