Postfix message duplication - again!

[Chris Trudeau]

> I have read many threads on both the MailScanner mailing list and the
> Postfix groups about this problem but haven't yet seen a solution. I
> guess the first question is, is there a solution?

To my knowledge in answering your question, "NO" there has not been a fix
released for this that I am aware of.  I WAS able to get MYSQL logging
working with no duplication, but that was repaired in the perl components of
the MAILWATCH packages, NOT the internals of MailScanner.  The resulting
problem was that duplicate notification email messages are still a problem
etc...

> I love MS and have done since I first deployed it on my first trip to
> Linux (On Sendmail) and latterly, having got fed up with the patching
> required, on Postfix (When the MS for Postfix first was released). I
> have only recently been having these duplication problems and started
> looking for answers to find the author of Postfix says not to use
> MailScanner as it 'Gropes mail files from the active queue'. While
> understandable from his point of view, not helpful to me, an
> inexperienced *nix admin just looking to implement easy, fast and safe
> computing for my users (Hence my love for Postfix and MailScanner, both
> excellent, fast and simple to administer).

I simply took the route of every other non-developer in the world and
realized that support of MailScanner on Exim or Sendmail would make my life
easier in the long run.  Even with the inherent insecurities and
complexities of maintaining sendmail.  The resulting scenario leaves me in a
much better place.  I have side-by-side instances of
postfix/MS/SA/DCC/Razor/Sophos/ClamAV AND
sendmail/MS/SA/DCC/Razor/Sophos/ClamAV and sendmail is by far easier to
maintain and less prone to trivial mail handling problems. (if you have high
traffic server, postfix/MS will butcher messages and do other unpredictable
things.

> I have played with Exim but disliked it's config setup and seemed very
> complex to set up to use my MySQL alias database, domain list etc.

ME TOO!  While I know its supposed to be more secure and flexible and
perform a bit better than sendmail....I have just never had the time or the
patience to learn the configuration ins and outs of yet another MTA.

> I also played with AMAVIS- new (For two hours and gave up when I found
> the full extent of the feature set!) which is 'approved for Postfix use'.

I started out with amavisd-new and ditched it after learning about the
functionality offered in MailScanner (approved or not)

> If there is not current cure for the POstfix problem, is there any way
> to pipe the mail to MailScanner or even bolt a SMTP engine to it to
> receive the mail like AMAVIS (Which would then extend MS for use with
> all MTAs?!)?

I haven't seen anything like that...not sure I could use the functionality
myself.  I would prefer to use postfix, but decided long ago, that Julian's
level of support here far surpasses anything you can find on postfix mailing
lists.  In addition, Julian doesn't make a regular habit of demeaning those
who are less learned about his software.