Problem starting Postfix: mysql_alias.cf, line 1: missing '='

[JMadrid]

Hi, I am just dealing with my first Postfix installation.
After following a few tutorials, I’m still not able to start the Postfix server. I looked for solutions in many forums, but I cannot find this problem. Tailing the log files there is an error coming over and over:

Sep 14 11:25:30 hostname postfix/cleanup[30095]: fatal: /etc/postfix/mysql_alias.cf, line 1: missing '=' after attribute name: "??h"
Sep 14 11:25:31 hostname postfix/master[30043]: warning: process /usr/lib/postfix/cleanup pid 30095 exit status 1

Sep 14 11:25:31 hostname postfix/master[30043]: warning: /usr/lib/postfix/cleanup: bad command startup -- throttling

This is my main.cf:
# See /usr/share/postfix/main.cf.dist for a commented, more complete version


# Debian specific: Specifying a file name will cause the first
# line of that file to be used as the name. The Debian default
# is /etc/mailname.
#myorigin = /etc/mailname
myorigin= mydomain.com

smtpd_banner = $myhostname ESMTP $mail_name
biff = no

# appending .domain is the MUA's job.
append_dot_mydomain = no

# Uncomment the next line to generate "delayed mail" warnings
delay_warning_time = 4h
unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 450
maximal_queue_lifetime = 7d
minimal_backoff_time = 1000s
maximal_backoff_time = 8000s
smtp_helo_timeout = 60s
smtpd_recipient_limit = 16
smtpd_soft_error_limit = 3
smtpd_hard_error_limit = 12

readme_directory = no

# TLS parameters
#smtp_use_tls = no
smtp_tls_security_level = may
#smtpd_use_tls=yes
smtpd_tls_security_level = may
#smtpd_tls_auth_only = no
smtp_tls_note_starttls_offer = yes
smtpd_tls_loglevel = 1
smtpd_tls_received_header = yes
smtpd_tls_session_cache_timeout = 3600s
tls_random_source = dev:/dev/urandom
smtpd_tls_cert_file=/etc/ssl/certs/ssl-cert-snakeoil.pem
smtpd_tls_key_file=/etc/ssl/private/ssl-cert-snakeoil.key
#smtpd_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtpd_scache
#smtp_tls_session_cache_database = btree:${data_directory}/smtp_scache


smtpd_helo_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, warn_if_reject reject_non_fqdn_hostname, reject_invalid_hostname, permit
smtpd_sender_restrictions = permit_mynetworks, warn_if_reject reject_non_fqdn_sender, reject_unknown_sender_domain, reject_unauth_pipelining, permit
smtpd_client_restrictions = reject_rbl_client sbl.spamhaus.org, reject_rbl_client blackholes.easynet.nl, reject_rbl_client dnsbl.njabl.org
smtpd_recipient_restrictions = reject_unauth_pipelining, permit_mynetworks, permit_sasl_authenticated, reject_non_fqdn_recipient, reject_unknown_recipient_domain, reject_unauth_destination, check_policy_service inet:127.0.0.1:60000, permit

smtpd_helo_required = yes
# waste spammers time before rejecting them
smtpd_delay_reject = yes
disable_vrfy_command = yes


# See /usr/share/doc/postfix/TLS_README.gz in the postfix-doc package for
# information on enabling SSL in the smtp client.

# content_filter = amavis:[127.0.0.1]:10024

myhostname = smtp.mydomain.com
mydomain = mydomain.com
alias_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases
alias_database = hash:/etc/postfix/aliases
myorigin = mydomain.com
mydestination = $myhostname, localhost.$mydomain, localhost, $mydomain
relayhost =
mynetworks = 127.0.0.0/8 [::ffff:127.0.0.0]/104 [::1]/128
mynetworks_style = host
mailbox_size_limit = 0
recipient_delimiter = +
inet_interfaces = all
virtual_mailbox_base = /var/spool/mail/virtual
virtual_mailbox_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_mailbox.cf
virtual_uid_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_uid.cf
virtual_gid_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_gid.cf
virtual_mailbox_domains = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_domains.cf
virtual_alias_maps = mysql:/etc/postfix/mysql_alias.cf
Running Ubuntu 8.04 in VPS.

Does anybody have any idea what could it be?
Thanks

[t3r0]

Please post the contents of /etc/postfix/mysql_alias.cf

The error seems to be in that file.

- Tero

[JMadrid]

Oh yeah, sorry. Here it is:


hosts=127.0.0.1
user=(user)
password=(password)
dbname=maildb
table=aliases
select_field=destination
where_field=mail
additional_conditions = and enabled = 1
I just omitted (user) and (password)

[JMadrid]

Ok, I see this is not easy...:(

Does anybody could tell me any place where I could ask or get some more information?

Thank you

[t3r0]

hmm.. the file syntax seems to be ok.. So this is just a guess: did you copy&paste the contents to that file from your browser? if so, try to clear the file and type that same content back to that file by hand.

Sometimes when you copy&paste content from some web pages the actual characters are not the same as they seem. Like in this case the "=" could actually be some other than ascii code 61.

- Tero

Ok, I see this is not easy...:(

Does anybody could tell me any place where I could ask or get some more information?

Thank you

[JMadrid]

Yes, you are right!

I made a mistake saving mysql_alias.cf file in a UTF-16 encoding (just because I edited the file in Windows). I didn't know Postfix configuration files were plain ASCII text.

Thank you very much!

JC

[noway2]

Just as a point of reference for anyone in the future, the ' attribute name: "??h" ' was a big clue. When you see something like the "??h" it is a good indication that you have something messed up in one of the .CF files for you mapping. I have wasted many hours trying to track those bugs down!