Re: Emacs 21.2, smtpmail, and vm

[Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com>]

Chris Hall <hall.cj@verizon.net> writes:

> If I set smtpmail-auth-credentials as specified in the smtpmail
> preface comments, '("smtp hostname" 25 "username" "passord")'
> smtpmail-try-auth-methods won't find *any* credentials, and
> immediately sends 'MAIL FROM:' to my ISP, which then says
> 'authorization required', and closes the connection.

What does C-h v on the variable tell?  The setting you quote seem
incorrect.  If you are unsure about what the variable should contain,
I suggest using M-x customize-variable RET smtpmail-auth-credentials
RET.

> If I set credentials to a .netrc file (!) (after of course returning
> to CVS, getting a copy of netrc.el and putting it in my load-path), I
> get prompted for a password, even though it is already in .netrc, and
> authentication proceeds - the smtp trace buffer shows the base64
> exchange between vm and my ISP.

What did the .netrc line look like?  Maybe you need to add "port smtp".

> smtpmail then blows off with an argument mismatch somewhere in
> smtpmail-try-auth-methods : 'smtpmail-try-auth-methods: Wrong type
> argument : stringp, nil'.

M-x toggle-debug-on-error RET to get the full backtrace.

> And Simon, if you read this, I tried the patched version from your
> website: it didn't seem to support AUTH LOGIN, only AUTH CRAM-MD5,
> though the CVS version I'm using now does.

The web site version is for older emacsen, it is always better to try
with the CVS version if you are interested in reporting your findings.