• Registered: 2020-09-10
  • Posts: 5

Topic: Email Problems

Hi there,

I've been using Luxcal on my website https://www.plymouthivc.org/ since 2013 and until recently has been performing extremely well. However over the last year we have had a problem which has steadily got worse.

The issue is around sending an email when an event is created or amended. It started about a year or so when one user found that no email was being sent, the user was registered with a Yahoo email account so I presumed that it was a spam filter somewhere. Since then more users have been unable to send emails until now it appears that I am the only person who can. My registered email is on the same domain as the website domain.

If a user creates an event and ticks the email send now box, no email is sent. If I amend the event and tick the box, no email is sent. However if I change the 'added' box to myself and amend, an email does get sent.

It surely seems like it's a spam filter problem, but what has confused me is that the send to email address in the event box actually changes from our distribution email address to the users own email, which seems a little strange.

Another odd thing is if I delete and recreate a user then the email function works for a few days...

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem, I couldn't find anything on the forum.

Any hep or hints would be very welcome.
Cheers - John

Quote Post 1

  • From: DK
  • Registered: 2018-03-02
  • Posts: 165

Re: Email Problems

Hello John

In the last couple of years, most providers require that when sending a mail, the senders email must belong to the same domain as the websites domain.
But as you describe it, then it sometimes function - and sometimes not. As the senders email is set in the calendars setting, then the sender will always be the same - and then it should always  either function - or not.
Is the problem when sending to one address or is it only when sending to a list?
Is it when sending "directly" or only when sending from a cronjob?
Is there something in a log-file?
Does the test-function in settings send an email?
Are you using SMTP for sending?

Schwartz's Website

Quote Post 2

  • From: DK
  • Registered: 2018-03-02
  • Posts: 165

Re: Email Problems

forgot some questions :
If the problem is in a list - how many addresses on the list?

As there is some logic in finding the email addresses :
Do you specify some addresses as sms - or do you always use email-addresses?
I nearly dare not ask - but - are you sure all the addresses is spelled correct?
What happens if you send a non-calendar message via your providers mail-program?
Are you using a provider for your site, or do you have your own server?
What type of server are the calendar located on?
What calendar version are you using?   L or M - version number?

Schwartz's Website

Quote Post 3

  • Registered: 2020-09-10
  • Posts: 5

Re: Email Problems

Hi,

Thanks for your quick reply!

The website uses PHP mail and sends to a single email which is an distribute email alias on the same domain which sends it onto about 30 or so email addresses. All of those affected can send an email to the distribute address and it is sent on, just not from the calendar.

I do not use a chron job as I have never set one up. The test function in the calendar works...

The log file shows this type of thing, but I've no idea if these errors are connected or not:-

2020.10.15 13:31:10 mycal:WARNING Script: /luxcallite/index.php - Access denied. Possible spoofed form submission.
.no token received
Form input keys:
- cP
2020.10.15 13:32:47 mycal:WARNING Script: /luxcallite/index.php - Access denied. Possible spoofed form submission.
.invalid token
Form input keys:
- cP
- loff
2020.10.17


The calendar version is 4.7.8L and runs on a server with one.com

The server is running PHP 7.4 and is automatically updated to the latest stable version.

Quote Post 4

  • From: DK
  • Registered: 2018-03-02
  • Posts: 165

Re: Email Problems

Is it so :

The mail-address set up in the calendar settings is a mail-address "belonging" to the domain.
On this mail-address that is in a mailbox on one.com, there is made forwarding to other addresses.
And this is functioning.

But when sending mails from an event to one or more specific mail-addresses then it does not function.

At the moment I have not installed the 4.7.8 L, but when I am sure I know how you have it set up, I could make an installation on a testsite on a one.com domain, to test if I will experience the same problems.

Maybe Roel know what can cause this.
I think the easiest would be if you would contact him on his "Contact us" page. If you would give him access to your calendar, then he could log on and do some test and investigatoion. Maybe it is just a matter of settings.

Eventually we could make the same situation on my test-calendar and then test until we find the problem.

Schwartz's Website

Quote Post 5

  • Roel
  • Roel
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2018-02-26
  • Posts: 565

Re: Email Problems

Hi John,

At a distance it's hard to say what might go wrong with sending/receiving emails. Maybe the following will help to pin down the problem . . .

As John Schwartz said above, it is important to set the "Calendar email address" in the General section on the Settings page to a mail address hosted by the host of the calendar (i.e. IVC website). In the same context, it's also best to set "Sender of notification emails" on the Settings page, under "Reminders - Email" to "calendar".
The LuxCal calendar can send emails on the following occasions:

  1. When pressing the Test Mail button in the General section on the Settings page. This is working you wrote, right? So we know that PHP mail is functioning.

  2. When on the Settings page, in the General section, the "Send notification of calendar changes" has been checked and a valid email address is present in the Recipient list, each time a calendar change (add, edit or delete event) takes place (by whoever) an email will be sent to the recipient(s).

  3. When checking the Send mail now checkbox in the Add/Edit event window. These are the emails giving your calendar users troubles

  4. When a cron job has been set up, email reminders can be send, when requested, and a daily cronjob summary will be sent to the admin. However, you have no cronjob set up, so this number 4. is irrelevant.

Could you ensure that number 2. above has been done and put your own email address in the Recipients list. Now you should get an email of every calendar change!
What I would like to know is the following:
When one of the calendar users (could be you) does NOT get a requested email when "Send email now" was checked, do you still get a "Changed Event" email as a result of number 2. above?

And just to be sure:
I don't know if you are using recipients lists in the "To" field of the Add/Edit event window, but since end 2018, recipients list names in the "To" field should be enclosed in square brackets! In your User Guide on the IVC site, you don't describe sending emails; could it be that some users are not aware of this change and still are using recipients list names without square brackets? When hovering the red ? right of the To field in the Add / Edit event window, you will see all possibilities.

Hope this will help and will not confuse you wink
Cheers, Roel

Quote Post 6

  • Registered: 2020-09-10
  • Posts: 5

Re: Email Problems

Hi John & Roel,

Thank you very much for taking the time to try and resolve this issue. Much appreciated!

Roel - As far as i can see I have done everything in your list. I will send you a personal email and give you access to the calendar..

Cheers - John

Quote Post 7

  • Registered: 2020-09-10
  • Posts: 5

Re: Email Problems

Many thanks to Roel for all the time and effort he put into sorting this issue out!

Many, many thanks - John

Quote Post 8

  • Roel
  • Roel
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2018-02-26
  • Posts: 565

Re: Email Problems

smile

For those who may possibly run into the same problem:

On the Settings page, in the General section the specified Calendar URL was wrong. After correcting the URL all seems to be working again. Knock wood wink

Roel

Quote Post 9

10 Reply by klaus

  • klaus
  • Guest

Re: Email Problems

Hi,

I've had a similar problem. I've created an email receiving list and it worked at the beginning. Then suddenly no body received a reminder email anymore. I've created then a second list with only my email address and this works perfectly.

I thought I'm waiting to report this problem 'till the new version is online.

Klaus

Quote Post 10

  • Roel
  • Roel
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2018-02-26
  • Posts: 565

Re: Email Problems

Hi Klaus,

This sounds like an other kind of problem. Is this still a problem?

Could it be that you did not enclose the list name in square brackets? As said in one of my posts above, since end 2018 email recipients list names must be enclosed in square brackets.

Roel

Quote Post 11

12 Reply by klaus

  • klaus
  • Guest

Re: Email Problems

Hi Roel

Thanks for your reply. Yes the list is in square brackets it worked before perfect.
It stopped after a while. I've marked the function send it 2 days before the event.

I contact the members only once a month so I have to wait 'till November to see if it works. I'll then insert also my test list into the function to see what's happened.

Klaus

Quote Post 12

13 Reply by klaus

  • klaus
  • Guest

Re: Email Problems

Hi Roel

I've made a test regarding my email problem. I've created a test mail for Nov. first with "send email two days before event" but got nothing. If I select send email now, everything works fine. Is there a log file to check what was wrong?

Thanks

Klaus

Quote Post 13

14 Reply by Al

  • Al
  • Guest

Re: Email Problems

I know this is an old thread, but I'm having a weird problem with notifications.
When I mark now and / or 1 day or 2 days, I get the now, but never the or 1 - 2 days before. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Quote Post 14

  • Roel
  • Roel
  • Administrator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2018-02-26
  • Posts: 565

Re: Email Problems

Hi Al,
What calendar version are you using? (See top of the Settings page)
Have you created a cronjob which starts the lcalcron.php script each morning?
Roel

Quote Post 15