UUCP services

pax.zz.de offers UUCP (Unix to Unix copy) links via SSL and also mail delivery via these links.

How to configure a UUCP client

For Debian based systems install the package uucp and openssl.

port file

First you need to tell UUCP on what command to call if it wants to call the "other side" of the UUCP link. To do this add the following lines to your /etc/uucp/port file.

port SSL
        type pipe
        command /usr/bin/openssl s_client -comp -quiet -host \H -port 4031

nodename

Then you need to set your own uucp nodename which is typically not the FQDN hostname (e.g. with domain) of your system.

Edit the file /etc/uucp/config and look for the statement nodename and set it accordingly:

nodename vax01

sys file

Then you need to add systems to call - typically the upstream you got. For this edit the file /etc/uucp/sys and add the following block:

system pax
        call-login *
        call-password *
        time any
        address pax.zz.de
        port SSL
        protocol t

This block tells UUCP there is a system pax, which is reachable via the PORT SSL at the address pax.zz.de and on the connection it should speak the t protocol and it may call the system at any time.

call file

Then you need to add the given password to /etc/uucp/call:

pax     vax01      PaSsWoRd

this tells to use PaSsWoRd when calling pax as vax01.

Testing the link

After done all this you may check if the connection is working by calling

uucico -X2 -x2 -S pax

and then have a look at the logfile at /var/log/uucp/Log which should show

uucico pax - (2024-08-05 10:10:01.15 1574233) Calling system pax (port SSL)
uucico pax - (2024-08-05 10:10:01.30 1574233) Login successful
uucico pax - (2024-08-05 10:10:01.35 1574233) Handshake successful (protocol 't')
uucico pax - (2024-08-05 10:10:03.38 1574233) Call complete (2 seconds 0 bytes 0 bps)

Postfix

Now the only thing left is to configure your mail transport agent to deliver mails via UUCP to system pax.

For postfix you need to set at least myhostname, mydestination, myorigin to your correct hostname given to you and add these 2 lines to your postfix config and restart postfix.

default_transport = uucp
relayhost = pax

As an optional feature you may disable the inbound SMTP service as its not needed. To do so edit /etc/postfix/master.cf and comment the line saying

#smtp      inet  n       -       y       -       -       smtpd
There are multiple lines with smtp at the beginning, see the end with smtpd

If you want uucp not only to call if run manually, or run by cron you may tell postfix to trigger the uucp call immediatly when a mail is being queued. To do so lookup the entry for uucp in /etc/postfix/master.cf and remove the -r which inhibits uux to immediatly call uucico to call the remote system.

uucp      unix  -       n       n       -       -       pipe
  flags=Fqhu user=uucp argv=uux -r -n -z -a$sender - $nexthop!rmail ($recipient)

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