[Pkg-exim4-users] Where to change the message size limit

[Ron Leach]

List, good afternoon,

We'd like to increase the message size limit for our Exim4 v4.80
running under Debian Wheezy. We do *not* use the 'split config'.

In /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template, a comment explains that when
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT is unset, a default message size limit of 50MB is
employed. I am not sure where to set a different MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT.

As I understand it, settings can be made in file
/etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf ,
but the syntax in that file seems slightly special; most of the
parameters are preceded with 'dc_'.

Should I use the name "message_size_limit' as the name for a message
size limit entry, preceding that name with 'dc_'? I have in mind a
new entry such as

dc_message_size_limit='100MB'

for example.

Our server is running live at the moment and, to avoid inadvertently
creating problems, I'd be grateful for any advice whether that is the
correct way to add a new parameter and whether adding this parameter
will effect the change to Exim4's message size limit in our
installation. If all would be well, I expect to implement a change
early on Sunday morning.

Regards, Ron

[Fernando M. Maresca]

Hi.
Don't quote:

dc_message_size_limit=5M


dc_ stands for debconf. Any constant in *.template in uppercase like
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT can be defined in update-exim4.conf.conf by spelling
it in lower case preceded by dc_ .

Regards,

Fer

Post by Ron Leach
List, good afternoon,
We'd like to increase the message size limit for our Exim4 v4.80
running under Debian Wheezy. We do *not* use the 'split config'.
In /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template, a comment explains that when
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT is unset, a default message size limit of 50MB is
employed. I am not sure where to set a different
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT.
As I understand it, settings can be made in file
/etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf ,
but the syntax in that file seems slightly special; most of the
parameters are preceded with 'dc_'.
Should I use the name "message_size_limit' as the name for a message
size limit entry, preceding that name with 'dc_'? I have in mind a
new entry such as
dc_message_size_limit='100MB'
for example.
Our server is running live at the moment and, to avoid inadvertently
creating problems, I'd be grateful for any advice whether that is
the correct way to add a new parameter and whether adding this
parameter will effect the change to Exim4's message size limit in
our installation. If all would be well, I expect to implement a
change early on Sunday morning.
Regards, Ron
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[Andreas Metzler]

Post by Fernando M. Maresca
Hi.
dc_message_size_limit=5M
dc_ stands for debconf. Any constant in *.template in uppercase like
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT can be defined in update-exim4.conf.conf by spelling
it in lower case preceded by dc_ .

[...]

No, that is not case. The mechanism described above does not exist.

cu And- Responding mainly to make sure the list archives have correct
info -reas

[Ron Leach]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Fernando M. Maresca]

No, the info I've provided is WRONG.

Sorry, my fault.

Regards,
Fer

Post by Ron Leach

Post by Andreas Metzler

Post by Fernando M. Maresca
Hi.
dc_message_size_limit=5M
dc_ stands for debconf. Any constant in *.template in uppercase like
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT can be defined in update-exim4.conf.conf by spelling
it in lower case preceded by dc_ .

[...]
No, that is not case. The mechanism described above does not exist.

Ok, thank you both. I need to get this right so I'll also check the
file:///usr/share/doc/exim4-base/README.Debian.html
"Using Exim Macros to control the configuration"
Very grateful for the helpful comments,
Ron
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[Andreas Metzler]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Ron Leach]

Post by Andreas Metzler
file:///usr/share/doc/exim4-base/README.Debian.html
"Using Exim Macros to control the configuration"

From my reading the guidance, I think creating the new
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT parameter will be quite a simple process:

1. Create a new blank file /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.localmacros, with
owner root (rw), and group (r) & other (r)

2. Insert this line into /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.localmacros

MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT = 100M

3. Save the file

Early on Sunday, we'll stop exim and restart it. This will trigger
the reading of the new local macros file. Doing this by hand lets me
see immediately if the configuration change is rejected.

regards, Ron

[Ron Leach]

Post by Ron Leach
Insert this line into /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.localmacros
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT = 100M

This wasn't a good idea.

Exim did not seem to reject the configuration but, after making this
change last thing at night, the next morning we found no inbound
emails, and a paniclog full to the brim with:

invalid message_size_limit: invalid integer "100M###{49 x #}#"

Exim didn't like 100M. The report seems (to me) to indicate Exim
didn't like the 'value', rather than anything in the 'syntax'. As
though 100M is a valid number syntactically, but 100M is an invalid
value for this parameter. That is my reading of the message.

http://www.exim.org/exim-html-current/doc/html/spec_html/ch-main_configuration.html

(a long way down the web page)

makes no comment about the permissible number range, though.

I've commented out my setting in localmacros. Later I will try
various other values to make sure that my syntax, at least, is correct.

regards, Ron

[Ron Leach]

What did actually end up in /var/lib/exim4/config.autogenerated?

literally:
#############[nl]
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT=100M########################################

I assumed this was config template's way of saying that it had found
the macro definition. Config template also has many lines of
######################
######################
at the start of the file, to warn folk that the file is autogenerated
and changes should be made elsewhere, etc.

While
I am reasonably sure that exim isn't this picky, I'd check for
Unix/Windows line endings, non-printing characters and/or trailing
spaces in the line where you set 100M.

This time using a KVM switch directly onto the server, and the mc
package on the server, I edited the localmacros file. I inserted a
'newline' character (I think nl, I used the 'enter' key on the
keyboard) at the end of the '100M'. At the beginning of the next line
(this macro is the only line in the file) mc reports <EOF> at position
1. Though I hadn't noticed because I wasn't expecting that would show
in mc, I now think that my previous definition had been coded as
MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT = 100M<EOF>
that is, without a newline.

I can confirm that MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT = 40M on my mail server works
fine, such as MESSAGE_SIZE_LIMIT = 100M works as well (here, on
jessie).

Marc, that was extremely kind of you to check, and very helpful, thank
you.

My gut feeling says non-printing character or wrong line
ending.

Impressive. I think you get two points for that. :)


Exim has restarted fine, no paniclogs, and my counterparty has sent
its 98M email.


Ron