wp_mail() uses a 3rd party PHP class called PHPMailer, and it instructs that class to use PHP's built-in mail() function.

I looked through the PHPMailer function and there is a from$ variable for the MAIL TO: used as well as a from$ for the message body variable.  It might be that WordPress is using the same variable for both and if so this is a bug in WordPress.  The IAW RFC 2821 the MAIL FROM:  field is a simple SMTP email address in <>, i.e. <user@domain>, while IAW RFC 2822 the message From: field can be in the form  email@address, or "Personal Name"<email.address>, or email@address (Personal Name). 

It's hard to tell what WordPress is doing and why but I would report a bug to WordPress at least.  The way I see this working I have no idea why WordPress is using the "wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost> since the data in both fields is a SMTP email address with no personal name at all.

I'm using PHP to send an email. The function I'm using is specific to WordPress. It is called wp_mail(). It uses a class called PHPMailer, but it instructs that class to use PHP's mail(). The funny thing is that mail() works OK. In the same script, simply changing mail() to wp_mail() breaks the script. However,  the wp_mail()-containing script works fine on my live Bluehost-managed server. (Of course, I have to change the @localhost addresses to real email addresses on the live version.)

In the SMTP logs, Mercury shows that emails with wp_mail() contain more lines of data; 14 versus 6. I suspect this is header information and the basis on which Mercury decides not to do what I would like it to do, which is delivering those emails...

Can someone please help?

Oh, forgot to mention, I'm using Mercury as it came with XAMPP. I'm doing local PHP development.

In the SMTP logs, Mercury shows that emails with wp_mail() contain

more lines of data; 14 versus 6. I suspect this is header information

and the basis on which Mercury decides not to do what I would like it

to do, which is delivering those emails...

Can someone please help?

I suspect that to wp_mail() script it not doing a valid SMTP transfer.  Turn on session logging in MercuryS and then submit a copy of the session log.

Oh, forgot to mention, I'm using Mercury as it came with XAMPP. I'm doing local PHP development.

Hi Thomas,

I just updated to the latest version of Mercury. Though, since I requested update only (not full re-install), the XAMPP settings were preserved.

Here's the session log for MercuryS,

01:12:33.634: Connection from 127.0.0.1, Sun Apr 12 01:12:33 2009<lf>
01:12:33.650: << 220 localhost ESMTP server ready.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.666: >> HELO msafi-PC<cr><lf>
01:12:33.666: << 250 localhost Hello, msafi-PC.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.666: >> MAIL FROM:<"wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost>><cr><lf>
01:12:33.681: << 250 Sender OK - send RCPTs.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.681: >> RCPT TO:<emailer1@localhost><cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: << 250 Recipient OK - send RCPT or DATA.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> DATA<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: << 354 OK, send data, end with CRLF.CRLF<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> Subject: test<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> To: emailer1@localhost<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:12:33 +0400<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> Return-Path: wordpress@localhost<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> From: "wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost><cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> Message-ID: <66a9a200da21aed69bd9063a6cb59aa2@localhost><cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> X-Priority: 3<cr><lf>
01:12:33.697: >> X-Mailer: PHPMailer (phpmailer.sourceforge.net) [version 2.0.2]<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> MIME-Version: 1.0<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> <cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> here you go<lf>
01:12:33.712: >> <cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> .<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: << 250 Data received OK.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.712: >> QUIT<cr><lf>
01:12:33.728: << 221 localhost Service closing channel.<cr><lf>
01:12:33.728: --- Connection closed normally at Sun Apr 12 01:12:33 2009. ---
01:12:33.728:

(Off topic: By the way, the email notification in this forum isn't working for me. Another website that uses this forum software also doesn't send me email notifications!)

That is a successfully received message.

Well, I don't who's receiving those messages, but it's not me.

In the same script, simply changing wp_mail() to mail() produces the following session log:

01:35:52.558: Connection from 127.0.0.1, Sun Apr 12 01:35:52 2009<lf>
01:35:52.558: << 220 localhost ESMTP server ready.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: >> HELO msafi-PC<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: << 250 localhost Hello, msafi-PC.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: >> MAIL FROM:<wordpress@localhost><cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: << 250 Sender OK - send RCPTs.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: >> RCPT TO:<emailer1@localhost><cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: << 250 Recipient OK - send RCPT or DATA.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: >> DATA<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: << 354 OK, send data, end with CRLF.CRLF<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:35:52 +0400<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> Subject: test<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> To: emailer1@localhost<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> from: wordpress@localhost<cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> <cr><lf>
01:35:52.589: >> here you go<cr><lf>
01:35:52.620: >> .<cr><lf>
01:35:52.620: << 250 Data received OK.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.620: >> QUIT<cr><lf>
01:35:52.620: << 221 localhost Service closing channel.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.620: --- Connection closed normally at Sun Apr 12 01:35:52 2009. ---
01:35:52.636:

And with this one, I do actually receive the message in my Windows Mail client.

I just updated to the latest version of Mercury. Though, since I

requested update only (not full re-install), the XAMPP settings were

preserved.

Here's the session log for MercuryS,

01:12:33.681: >> RCPT TO:<emailer1@localhost><cr><lf>

Perfectly normal message and should be delivered to the local user "emailer1" assuming the domain "localhost" is in the mercury domain list.

 (Off topic: By the way, the email notification in this forum isn't

working for me. Another website that uses this forum software also

doesn't send me email notifications!)

Works for me, what email address are you using for the deliveries?

[quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]Perfectly normal message and should be delivered to the local user

"emailer1" assuming the domain "localhost" is in the mercury domain

list.[/quote]

Strange...What can be done to solve this problem then?

[quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]Works for me, what email address are you using for the deliveries? [/quote]

The address that I registered with. I clicked on my name, then went to the "email" tab, and changed the setting to enable/allow email notifications; maybe now it will work.

Well, I don't who's receiving those messages, but it's not me.

In the same script, simply changing wp_mail() to mail() produces the following session log:

01:35:52.558: Connection from 127.0.0.1, Sun Apr 12 01:35:52 2009<lf>
01:35:52.558: << 220 localhost ESMTP server ready.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: >> HELO msafi-PC<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: << 250 localhost Hello, msafi-PC.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.558: >> MAIL FROM:<wordpress@localhost><cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: << 250 Sender OK - send RCPTs.<cr><lf>
01:35:52.573: >> RCPT TO:<emailer1@localhost><cr><lf>

Also perfectly normal mail to local account "emailer1".

And with this one, I do actually receive the message in my Windows Mail client.

Then you might want to check the CNM files in the emailer1 directory.  These were both received properly by MercuryS and should have been delivered to the same local account unless there is something else deleting the message.  Check the system log and the core screen.

[quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]

Then you might want to check the CNM files in the emailer1 directory.  These were both received properly by MercuryS and should have been delivered to the same local account unless there is something else deleting the message.  Check the system log and the core screen.

[/quote]

C:\xampp\MercuryMail\MAIL\emailer1 doesn't contain any CNM files. C:\xampp\MercuryMail\MAIL\Admin has a bunch of them.

Could you please tell me what the "system log" and "core screen" are?

[quote user="msafi"][quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]Perfectly normal message and should be delivered to the local user

"emailer1" assuming the domain "localhost" is in the mercury domain

list.[/quote]

Strange...What can be done to solve this problem then?

Solve what problem?  The mail is being properly delivered.  Should be a CNM file in the user emailer1 directory. You have got to verify the delivery all the way to the users mail directory though.  It's always possible that you have setup some filter, content control, daemon to delete the message after it was received.  Like I say, XAMPP does not do a very good Mercury/32 install and you need to go through and verify the setup.

[quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]Works for me, what email address are you using for the deliveries? [/quote]

The address that I registered with. I clicked on my name, then went to the "email" tab, and changed the setting to enable/allow email notifications; maybe now it will work.

Have you setup the various forums to send the mail to you?[/quote]

[quote user="Thomas R. Stephenson"]

Solve what problem?  The mail is being properly delivered.  Should be a CNM file in the user emailer1 directory. You have got to verify the delivery all the way to the users mail directory though.  It's always possible that you have setup some filter, content control, daemon to delete the message after it was received.  Like I say, XAMPP does not do a very good Mercury/32 install and you need to go through and verify the setup.

Have you setup the various forums to send the mail to you?

[/quote]

As mentioned in the previous post, there are no CNM files in emailer1 directory. I deleted all the listed filtering rules and content controls. I don't know what "daemon" is, though. I've actually been trying to solve this problem for several hours now as my work depends on getting this to work. In the process, I have become some what familiar with the various screens that Mercury has, but I still don't see where this email is getting deleted or why it would be deleted, given that a very similar email gets through OK!

 (Changing the settings in the user profile seem to have solved the email notification problem in the forum)

As mentioned in the previous post, there are no CNM files in emailer1

directory.

I deleted all the listed filtering rules and content

controls. I don't know what "daemon" is, though. I've actually been

trying to solve this problem for several hours now as my work depends

on getting this to work. In the process, I have become some what

familiar with the various screens that Mercury has, but I still don't

see where this email is getting deleted or why it would be deleted,

given that a very similar email gets through OK!

Any number of reasons but you are the one that has to figure that one out by tracing it through the system. No received message would be deleted without some error message showing up someplace in the path.   It's getting through MercuryS so if it's not getting to the correct new mail directory that must be some indication why in the logs.

I'm getting to hate XAMPP.  The automated install is pretty bad and the installing user never gets to see any of the things that needs to be done to get this fully operational in a real world environment.

C:\xampp\MercuryMail\MAIL\emailer1 doesn't contain any CNM files. C:\xampp\MercuryMail\MAIL\Admin has a bunch of them.

Use the XAMPP control panel and hit Mercury admin  to open the Mercury GUI interface.  Pause the MercuryP and MercuryI windows to ensure that they are not being downloaded and deleted by a client.

Could you please tell me what the "system log" and "core screen" are?

MAIL FROM in the wp_mail session appears to be broken:

01:12:33.666: >> MAIL FROM:<"wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost>><cr><lf>

It should be just "MAIL FROM: <wordpress@localhost>" (no nested brackets).

/Rolf 

MAIL FROM in the wp_mail session appears to be broken:

01:12:33.666: >> MAIL FROM:<"wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost>><cr><lf>

It should be just "MAIL FROM: <wordpress@localhost>" (no nested brackets).

I agree the MAIL FROM: is not correct but it was accepted by MercuryS and the mail actually was received according to the session log.  Since it was received I would have expected MercuryS to create the  MGxxxx.QCF/QDF file pair the message processed.  Of course core may reject the QCF/QDF file pair but in my test this MAIL FROM: address is accepted and processed.  In my case it was caught by POPFileD and classified as spam but it was delivered to the spam user mailbox normally. 

I just did this one nore time via telnet to using the string MAIL FROM:<"wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost>><cr><lf> and it works so this should not the reason the mail is not being delivered to the user emailer1.  It should be fixed though and I'll bet this is another case of the user not entering a simple email address in a field asking for the senders email address.

Edit:  Here's my test data, note the return path.

Received: from spooler by tstephenson.com (Mercury/32 v4.70); 11 Apr 2009 21:03:24 -0700
X-Envelope-To: <support@tstephenson.com>
X-CLAMWALL: Passed through antiviral test by ClamWall 1.4.0.96 on tstephenson.com (6)
X-SPAMWALL: Passed through antiSPAM test by SpamHalter 4.4.0 on
 tstephenson.com (88)
X-SPAMWALL: probability - 0.0%
Return-path: <"wordpress@localhost" <wordpress@localhost>>
Received: from thomas (192.168.1.5) by tstephenson.com (Mercury/32 v4.70)
 with ESMTP ID MG0004F7; 11 Apr 2009 21:01:53 -0700
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2009 01:12:33 +0400
Subject Test
From: thomas@tstephenson.com
To: support
X-Rcpt-To: <support@tstephenson.com>
X-Text-Classification: good
X-POPFile-Link: http://192.168.1.2:8080/jump_to_message?view=20947
X-Recipient: <support@tstephenson.com>
X-PMFLAGS: 33554560 9 1 YT6HTEB4.CNM                       

This is a test message from tstephenson.com.

I think the problem is finally solved.

I woke up this morning and started Mercury fresh. I tried to send an email and by chance noticed the "Mercury Core Process" window saying "Sender address 'WordPress <wordpress@localhost' is invalid" (I see a missing bracket) so I spent the next few hours researching and finally stumbled on this page and read only the first line where the poster says "I have not checked "Supress validation of 'from' field ..." in Mercury Core Config." So, I went and in fact checked the "suppress validation." and now I receive the messages coming from wp_mail();

Thanks for the help,

You should fix the real problem as well an make sure that Wordpress uses a correct MAIL FROM.

/Rolf 

I don't contribute to the core code of WordPress. I'm merely using WordPress's API. WordPress relies heavily on its wp_mail() and it is working for thousands of people.

I don't contribute to the core code of WordPress. I'm merely using

WordPress's API. WordPress relies heavily on its wp_mail() and it is

working for thousands of people.