SMTP Email problems

merrymonk has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I am trying to use some Perl that I last used some years ago to send an e-mails.
It seems to have got ‘rusty’ as it no longer works and I cannot see why.
The code follows.

$smtp = Net::SMTP->new($$ref_host_em);
print "[send_em] smtp <$smtp>\n";
$sm_ma = $smtp->mail($$ref_from_em);
$en = 0;
$en = Win32::GetLastError();
$en_f = Win32::FormatMessage($en);
print "[send_em] A en <$en> <$en_f> result of smtp send ma <$sm_ma>\n"
+;
#$sm_to = $smtp->to  ($to_em_item);
$sm_to = $smtp->to  ($$ref_from_em);
$en = 0;
$en = Win32::GetLastError();
$en_f = Win32::FormatMessage($en);
print "\n[send_em] B en <$en> <$en_f>  result of smtp send ma <$sm_ma>
+ to <$sm_to> \n";
$sm_da = $smtp->data();
$en = 0;
$en = Win32::GetLastError();
$en_f = Win32::FormatMessage($en);
print "\n[send_em] C en <$en> <$en_f>  result of smtp send ma <$sm_ma>
+ to <$sm_to> da <$sm_da>\n";
$sm_se = $smtp->datasend($message_body);
$en = 0;
$en = Win32::GetLastError();
$en_f = Win32::FormatMessage($en);
print "\n[send_em] D en <$en> <$en_f>  result of smtp send ma <$sm_ma>
+ to <$sm_to> da <$sm_da> se <$sm_se>\n";
$sm_ed = $smtp->dataend();
$en = 0;
$en = Win32::GetLastError();
$en_f = Win32::FormatMessage($en);
print "\n[send_em]  E en <$en> <$en_f> result of smtp send ma <$sm_ma>
+ to <$sm_to> da <$sm_da> se <$sm_se> ed <$sm_ed>\n";
[download]

The results from this are below.
As can be seen I get the ‘handle is invalid’ error message continuously after and including the $smtp->to line.
This is even when the data used for the $smtp->to is the identical to that used for the successful $smtp->mail. I think that the $smtp = Net::SMTP->new is OK since as well as getting a ‘value’ for $smtp I get an error message if I use this code when the PC is not connected to the Internet.
Can anyone suggest what is going wrong and how to cure this?

send_em smtp <Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66660)>
send_em A en <0> <The operation completed successfully.> result of smtp send ma <>
send_em B en <6> <The handle is invalid> result of smtp send ma <> to <0>
send_em C en <6> <The handle is invalid.> result of smtp send ma <> to <0> da <>
send_em D en <6> <The handle is invalid.> result of smtp send ma <> to <0> da <> se <0>
send_em E en <6> <The handle is invalid.> result of smtp send ma <> to <0> da <> se <0> ed <0>

Comment on SMTP Email problems Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: SMTP Email problems by arc_of_descent (Hermit) on Jun 15, 2009 at 16:02 UTC
There's a Debug parameter available which might help you out. `my $smtp = Net::SMTP->new($$ref_host_em, Debug => 1);` [download] -- Rohan	[reply] [d/l]
Re^2: SMTP Email problems by merrymonk (Hermit) on Jun 16, 2009 at 16:37 UTC
Thanks for that. I have added the debug and got the output below. Sadly it did not help a lot and even confused me because I got the same messages about SMTP authentication when it was both 'on' and 'off'. Perhaps the last message about Unexpected EOF on command channel is the one I sohuld be thinking about. Any thoughts on this will be welcome! send_em no attachments Net::SMTP>>> Net::SMTP(2.29) Net::SMTP>>> Net::Cmd(2.26) Net::SMTP>>> Exporter(5.58) Net::SMTP>>> IO::Socket::INET(1.29) Net::SMTP>>> IO::Socket(1.29) Net::SMTP>>> IO::Handle(1.25) Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 220 smtp807.mail.ird.yahoo.com ESMTP Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)>>> EHLO localhost.localdomain Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 250-smtp807.mail.ird.yahoo.com Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 250-AUTH LOGIN PLAIN XYMCOOKIE Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 250-PIPELINING Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 250 8BITMIME send_em smtp <Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)> Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)>>> MAIL FROM:<correct e-mial address> Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)<<< 530 authentication required - "Your email could not be sent.</br To fix this you must make a simple change to your email (known as SMTP authentication). For advice visit www.btyahoo.com/smtp" send_em A en <0> <The operation completed successfully. > result of smtp send ma <> Net::SMTP=GLOB(0x1d66690)>>> RCPT TO:<correct e-mial address> Net::SMTP: Unexpected EOF on command channel at email-jun09-b.pz line 159 send_em B en <6> <The handle is invalid. > result of smtp send ma <> to <0>	[reply]