[GLLUG] Aliases with Debian Exim4

[Chris Bell]

Hello,
I am using exim4 on debian with the "unsplit" configuration system. The 
documentation states that /etc/aliases is created and installed but may not be 
used, although not how it has been disabled. The original file gives aliases 
from most names to root, and an alias from root to a real user. I want at 
least some names to be aliased to real users, and for incoming mail to go 
through the usual spam and virus checks because it probably is  junk.

There is a separate section in /exim4/exim4.conf.template to always accept 
mail to postmaster, which I assume should then be re-directed to a real user. 

I do have some user names that are not in the /etc/aliases file just so that I 
can re-direct mail to another user name with a /home/user/.forward file, and 
that is working.

The /etc/aliases file aliases mailer-daemon to postmaster, yet I have seen 
(possibly junk) emails addressed to mailer-daemon rejected as " 550 
Unrouteable address"

I have tried editing /etc/aliases to alias the names direct to real users, but 
that does not seem to work, so I created users with those names, inserting a
/home/user/.forward file to another user. That is working well most of the 
time, but I have seen emails to names such as webmaster that are included in 
the /etc/aliases file rejected as " 550 Unrouteable address" despite also being 
listed as normal users.

It almost seems that anything listed in /etc/aliases is not just ignored but 
actively blocked.

Junk addressed to real users should be rejected by spamassassin as junk, not
 " 550 Unrouteable address".

Any help welcome, thanks.
-- 
Chris Bell
Website http://chrisbell.org.uk