following the link here: http://flurdy.com/docs/postfix/ with posfix, courier, MySql, and sasl gave me a web server that has imap functionality working fine but when i go to log into the server to send a message using the same user id and password for connecting the the imap server it rejects my login to the smtp server. If i do not specify a login for the outgoing mail server then it will send the message just fine. the error in postfix's log is: Jul 6 17:26:10 Sj-Linux postfix/smtpd[19139]: connect from unknown[10.0.0.50] Jul 6 17:26:10 Sj-Linux postfix/smtpd[19139]: warning: SASL authentication failure: unable to canonify user and get auxprops Jul 6 17:26:10 Sj-Linux postfix/smtpd[19139]: warning: unknown[10.0.0.50]: SASL DIGEST-MD5 authentication failed: no mechanism available Jul 6 17:26:10 Sj-Linux postfix/smtpd[19139]: warning: unknown[10.0.0.50]: SASL LOGIN authentication failed: no mechanism available Ive checked all usernames and passwords for mysql. what could be going wrong? edit: here is some other information: installed libraires for postfix, courier and sasl: aptitude install postfix postfix-mysql aptitude install libsasl2-modules libsasl2-modules-sql libgsasl7 libauthen-sasl-cyrus-perl sasl2-bin libpam-mysql aptitude install courier-base courier-authdaemon courier-authlib-mysql courier-imap courier-imap-ssl courier-ssl and here is my /etc/postfix/main.cf myorigin = domain.com smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name biff = no # appending .domain is the MUA's job. append_dot_mydomain = no # Uncomment the next line to generate "delayed mail" warnings #delay_warning_time = 4h readme_directory = no # TLS parameters smtpd_tls_cert_file=/etc/ssl/certs/ssl-cert-snakeoil.pem smtpd_tls_key_file=/etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key smtpd_use_tls=yes smtpd_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtpd_scache smtp_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtp_scache # See /usr/share/doc/postfix/TLS_README.gz in the postfix-doc package for # information on enabling SSL in the smtp client. #myhostname = my hostname alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases alias_database = hash:/etc/aliases myorigin = /etc/mailname local_recipient_maps = mydestination = relayhost = mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128 mailbox_size_limit = 0 recipient_delimiter = + inet_interfaces = all mynetworks_style = host # how long if undelivered before sending warning update to sender delay_warning_time = 4h # will it be a permanent error or temporary unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 450 # how long to keep message on queue before return as failed. # some have 3 days, I have 16 days as I am backup server for some people # whom go on holiday with their server switched off. maximal_queue_lifetime = 7d # max and min time in seconds between retries if connection failed minimal_backoff_time = 1000s maximal_backoff_time = 8000s # how long to wait when servers connect before receiving rest of data smtp_helo_timeout = 60s # how many address can be used in one message. # effective stopper to mass spammers, accidental copy in whole address list # but may restrict intentional mail shots. # but may restrict intentional mail shots. smtpd_recipient_limit = 16 # how many error before back off. smtpd_soft_error_limit = 3 # how many max errors before blocking it. smtpd_hard_error_limit = 12 # Requirements for the HELO statement smtpd_helo_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, permit # Requirements for the sender details smtpd_sender_restrictions = permit_sasl_authenticated, permit_mynetworks, warn_if_reject reject_non_fqdn_sender, reject_unknown_sender_domain, reject_unauth_pipelining, permit # Requirements for the connecting server smtpd_client_restrictions = reject_rbl_client sbl.spamhaus.org, reject_rbl_client blackholes.easynet.nl, reject_rbl_client dnsbl.njabl.org # Requirement for the recipient address smtpd_recipient_restrictions = reject_unauth_pipelining, permit_mynetworks, permit_sasl_authenticated, reject_non_fqdn_recipient, reject_unknown_recipient_domain, reject_unauth_destination, permit smtpd_data_restrictions = reject_unauth_pipelining # require proper helo at connections smtpd_helo_required = yes # waste spammers time before rejecting them smtpd_delay_reject = yes disable_vrfy_command = yes # not sure of the difference of the next two # but they are needed for local aliasing alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases alias_database = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases # this specifies where the virtual mailbox folders will be located virtual_mailbox_base = /var/spool/mail/virtual # this is for the mailbox location for each user virtual_mailbox_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_mailbox.cf # and this is for aliases virtual_alias_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_alias.cf # and this is for domain lookups virtual_mailbox_domains = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_domains.cf # this is how to connect to the domains (all virtual, but the option is there) # not used yet # transport_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_transport.cf virtual_uid_maps = static:5000 virtual_gid_maps = static:5000 # SASL smtpd_sasl_auth_enable = yes # If your potential clients use Outlook Express or other older clients # this needs to be set to yes broken_sasl_auth_clients = yes smtpd_sasl_security_options = noanonymous smtpd_sasl_local_domain =