Hi Datz_cozee75,

The error message tells you that $smtp is undef, and a quick look at the Net::SMTP docs tells me that the error message will be in $@, so you should be able to write something like

my $smtp = Net::SMTP->new(Host => $host, Debug => 2)
    or die "Net::SMTP failed: $@";
[download]

to find out what the problem might be.

Regarding alternatives, a while back I posted a brief example using Email::Simple and Email::Sender at Re: sendmail - worried illegal chars.

Hope this helps,
-- Hauke D

Update: I would not use Net::SMTP. please refer to Re: instantiating an smtp object post of Email namespace's if you trust them or just write your own Sendmail.

maybe try this. use Carp; to croak" $@"; the errors.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use 5.010;
use lib "template_stuff";
use html3;

sub rndStr{ join'', @_[ map{ rand @_ } 1 .. shift ] }
my $new_name = rndStr( 5, 'a'..'z', 1..9);
my $ref_to_name = \$new_name;
my $return_page = create_page($ref_to_name);
say "page is $return_page";
email_link($return_page);
sub email_link{
use strict;
use 5.014;
use Carp;
use Net::SMTP;
use config2;

my $link = shift;
my $sub_hash = "my_ftp";
my $host = $config{$sub_hash}->{'site'};
say "host is $host";
my $phone = $config{$sub_hash}->{'phone'};
say "phone is $phone";
if (exists $ENV{USER} && $ENV{USER}) {
  eval q^
use Net::SMTP;
my $smtp = Net::SMTP->new(Host => $host, Debug => 2)
 or croak "Unable to connect to '$host'. $!";

$smtp->mail($ENV{USER});
$smtp->to($phone);
$smtp->data();
$smtp->datasend("From: $ENV{USER}\n");
$smtp->datasend("Subject: This is your map link\n");
$smtp->datasend("\n");
$smtp->datasend($link);
$smtp->dataend();
$smtp->quit();
^;
croak "Net::SMTP fatal error: $@" if $@;
 }
  else {
   say '$ENV{USER} does not exists or is not defined.';
  }
}
__END__
[download]

Hi $h4X4_|=73}{,

Regarding the idiom eval ...; if ($@) ..., see for example Bug in eval in pre-5.14 or the "Background" section in Try::Tiny. The better idiom is eval "...; 1" or handle_error($@). And in this case I'd suggest eval BLOCK instead of eval STRING so that syntax errors can be caught at compile time.

Also, in "say "Unable to connect to '$host'. $!"", I think that should be $@ instead of $! (at least per the documentation of Net::SMTP).

Regards,
-- Hauke D

Update: s/patter?n/idiom/

clobbered

Carp Carp takes care not to clobber the status variables $! and $^E in the course of assembling its error messages. This means that a $SIG{__DIE__} or $SIG{__WARN__} handler can capture the error information held in those variables, if it is required to augment the error message, and if the code calling Carp left useful values there. Of course, Carp can't guarantee the latter.

$@

Interpolate. $@ is set if the string to be eval-ed did not compile (this may happen if open or close were imported with bad prototypes), or if Perl code executed during evaluation die()d. In these cases the value of $@ is the compile error, or the argument to die (which will interpolate $! and $? ). (See also Fatal, though.)

slightly injured, so terse. this is output with failed assumptions

host is www.1and1.com
$ENV{USER} does not exists or is not defined.
...
Net::SMTP fatal error: Unable to connect to 'www.1and1.com'. A connect
+ion attemp
t failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a 
+period of
time, or established connection failed because connected host has fail
+ed to resp
ond. at (eval 35) line 3.
        eval '
use Net::SMTP;
my $smtp = Net::SMTP->new(Host => $host, Debug => 2)
 or croak "Unable to connect to \'$host\'. $!";

$smtp->mail($ENV{USER});
$smtp->to($phone);
$smtp->data();
$smtp->datasend("From: $ENV{USER}\\n");
$smtp->datasend("Subject: This is your map link\\n");
$smtp->datasend("\\n");
$smtp->datasend($link);
$smtp->dataend();
$smtp->quit();

;' called at alpaca4.pl line 27
        main::email_link('3um671.html') called at alpaca4.pl line 12
 at alpaca4.pl line 42.
        main::email_link('3um671.html') called at alpaca4.pl line 12
## and then this one is the right smtp address
host is smtp.1and1.com
Net::SMTP fatal error: Unable to connect to 'smtp.1and1.com'. A connec
+tion attem
pt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a
+ period of
 time, or established connection failed because connected host has fai
+led to res
pond. at (eval 35) line 3.
        eval '
use Net::SMTP;
my $smtp = Net::SMTP->new(Host => $host, Debug => 2)
 or croak "Unable to connect to \'$host\'. $!";

$smtp->mail("myself");
$smtp->to($phone);
$smtp->data();
$smtp->datasend("From: me\\n");
$smtp->datasend("Subject: This is your map link\\n");
$smtp->datasend("\\n");
$smtp->datasend($link);
$smtp->dataend();
$smtp->quit();

;' called at alpaca4.pl line 27
        main::email_link('dn75w1.html') called at alpaca4.pl line 12
 at alpaca4.pl line 42.
        main::email_link('dn75w1.html') called at alpaca4.pl line 12
[download]

Called 1and1. Port should be 587. Encryption should be TLS. I couldn't understand the alphanumeric for 'Larry' as pronounced by someone from India, but we worked it out because I could keep on asking questions.

For TLS you can try Net::SMTP::TLS and take eval out. since its a bad idea to use it with Net::SMTP.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use 5.010;
use lib "template_stuff";
use html3;

sub rndStr{ join'', @_[ map{ rand @_ } 1 .. shift ] }
my $new_name = rndStr( 5, 'a'..'z', 1..9);
my $ref_to_name = \$new_name;
my $return_page = create_page($ref_to_name);
say "page is $return_page";
email_link($return_page);
sub email_link{
use strict;
use 5.014;
use Net::SMTP;
use config2;

my $link = shift;
my $sub_hash = "my_ftp";
my $host = $config{$sub_hash}->{'site'};
say "host is $host";
my $phone = $config{$sub_hash}->{'phone'};
say "phone is $phone";
if (exists $ENV{USER} && $ENV{USER}) {
 use Net::SMTP::TLS;
 my $mailer = new Net::SMTP::TLS(
        $host,
        #Hello   =>      'some.host.name',
        Port    =>      25, #redundant
        User    =>      'emailguy',
        Password=>      's3cr3t')
 or die "Unable to connect to '$host'. $@";
 $mailer->mail($ENV{USER});
 $mailer->to($phone);
 $mailer->data;
 $mailer->datasend($link);
 $mailer->dataend;
 $mailer->quit;

 }
  else {
   say '$ENV{USER} does not exists or is not defined.';
  }
}
__END__
[download]