Postfix start error Port 25: Address already in use
I'm attempting to get postfix running on my server but keep getting the following error in my /var/log/mail.log:
postfix/master[5041]: fatal: bind 0.0.0.0 port 25: Address already in use
I did some searching and found this excellent answer by Oli (regarding this very question) in which it's recommended that I basically rid my server of sendmail packages to avoid conflicts, then reinstall postfix, which will in turn install its own brand of sendmail. Unfortuantely it didn't quite solve the problem (see below for how).
I followed the instructions and ran the following check, to which I received an encouraging response:
$ dpkg -S `which sendmail`
postfix: /usr/sbin/sendmail
However when I started postfix again, I got the same error.
As per Oli's contingency, I looked for the process that was hogging port 25 with the following:
$ sudo netstat -pel | grep smtp
tcp 0 0 localhost.localdom:smtp *:* LISTEN root
35704126 27626/sendmail: MTA
But here's where it got confusing: I then looked for the process 27626 but was then told:
dpkg-query: no path found matching pattern 27626
connections.
I pulled up htop and was able to find the above PID associated with the following command:
sendmail:MTA: accepting connections
I then tried to kill the process with both killall sendmail and killall 27626 and kept getting no process found.
The problem is (besides the obvious) I don't know how to interpret these findings. I scrubbed the server of sendmail, so I can only assume that postfix's own version of sendmail is hijacking the port? I don't even know if that makes sense.
Anyway, if anyone could set me straight on this or at least give some interesting diagnostics questions, I'd appreciate it.
In case it's useful, I'm using virtualmin on the server to manage a few different domains and am also running wordpress.
Many thanks in advance!
In response to a request I've posted a ps -ef below
root@upsmart:~# ps -ef
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD
root 1 0 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 init
root 2 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 [kthreadd/20017]
root 3 2 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 [khelper/20017]
root 68 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 upstart-udev-bridge --daemon
root 75 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /sbin/udevd --daemon
root 110 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/sshd -D
root 130 75 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /sbin/udevd --daemon
root 131 75 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /sbin/udevd --daemon
root 175 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 upstart-socket-bridge --daemon
116 205 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:03 dbus-daemon --system --fork --activation=upstart
root 385 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/dovecot -F -c /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf
root 386 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:04 cron
mysql 410 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:08:06 /usr/sbin/mysqld
dovecot 441 385 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 dovecot/anvil
root 442 385 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 dovecot/log
root 444 385 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 dovecot/config
syslog 445 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:08 /sbin/syslogd -u syslog
bind 474 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:12 /usr/sbin/named -u bind
clamav 844 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:34 /usr/sbin/clamd
clamav 951 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:03:27 /usr/bin/freshclam -d --quiet
list 969 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /usr/lib/mailman/bin/mailmanctl -s -q start
list 970 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:03 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=ArchRunner:0:1 -
list 971 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:10 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=BounceRunner:0:1
list 972 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:03 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=CommandRunner:0:
list 973 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:07 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=IncomingRunner:0
list 974 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:01 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=NewsRunner:0:1 -
list 976 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:05 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=OutgoingRunner:0
list 978 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:01:06 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=VirginRunner:0:1
list 980 969 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/bin/python /var/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=RetryRunner:0:1
root 1410 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/saslauthd -a pam -m /var/spool/postfix/var/run/saslauthd -r
root 1413 1410 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/saslauthd -a pam -m /var/spool/postfix/var/run/saslauthd -r
root 2034 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:09 /usr/bin/perl /usr/share/usermin/miniserv.pl /etc/usermin/miniserv.con
proftpd 2054 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:07 proftpd: (accepting connections)
root 2096 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:13 /usr/bin/perl /usr/share/webmin/miniserv.pl /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf
root 2173 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:15 /usr/sbin/console-kit-daemon --no-daemon
root 2241 1 0 Jan12 ? 00:00:07 /usr/lib/policykit-1/polkitd --no-debug
root 4895 1 0 03:15 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/xinetd -dontfork -pidfile /var/run/xinetd.pid -stayalive -in
www-data 6494 30181 0 03:41 ? 00:00:06 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
www-data 6497 30181 0 03:42 ? 00:00:06 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
www-data 6499 30181 0 03:42 ? 00:00:06 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
www-data 6500 30181 0 03:42 ? 00:00:07 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
root 9477 30027 0 05:09 pts/5 00:00:00 sudo ps -ef
root 9478 9477 0 05:09 pts/5 00:00:00 ps -ef
root 27626 1 0 02:44 ? 00:00:00 sendmail: MTA: accepting connections
root 27902 110 0 02:51 ? 00:00:01 sshd: root@pts/4
root 27998 27902 0 02:51 pts/4 00:00:01 -bash
root 29931 110 0 02:59 ? 00:00:03 sshd: root@pts/5
root 30027 29931 0 02:59 pts/5 00:00:00 -bash
root 30181 1 0 03:00 ? 00:00:02 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
www-data 30183 30181 0 03:00 ? 00:00:00 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
www-data 30636 30181 0 03:06 ? 00:00:13 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
Solution 1:
I experienced the same issue on Ubuntu 16.04.01 LTS. The following log message occurred in /var/log/mail.log and outbound mail was failing to be sent out:
postfix/master[5072]: fatal: bind 127.0.0.1 port 25: Address already in use
I received the following output when trying to kill sendmail:
$ sudo killall sendmail
sendmail: no process found
The following commands worked for me (no need to reboot the server):
sudo killall sendmail-mta
sudo service postfix restart
Solution 2:
I had the same issue and what I did is only stop send mail, restart postfix and start again sendmail with the following commands:
service sendmail stop
service postfix restart
service sendmail start
Everything came back just fine.
Solution 3:
Well the answer is profoundly unsatisfying but after burning some hours working on this today, I restarted the server and postfix is now running. Thanks all who lent some insight.