🚀 go-pugleaf

[Something went awry with your followup; I've fixed it]

On Monday, in article
     <20120806.0930.2snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
     colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:

> On Monday, in article
>      <20120806.0903.930245snz@twoplaces.co.uk>
>      simon@twoplaces.co.uk "Simon Turner" wrote:
> 
> > On Sunday, in article
> >      <20120805.1127.11snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
> >      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
> > 
> > > Carrying out some tests with pop3 and mail.demon.co.uk.
> > >
> > > Another problem has turned up In the last few hours. I telnet to
> > > mail.demon.co.uk 110 it lets me in, but the command list does not work.
> > > Get the message "err command not valid in this state". I went back to
> > > Gremnos 03d nhat was working two days ago. Same problem, has anything
> > > changed?
> > 
> > Nothing seems to have changed.  Are you remembering to send the
> > 
> >   user administrator@yourhost.dcu
> > 
> > and
> > 
> >   pass yourpassword
> > 
> > commands first, to ensure the server knows what mailbox you want to
> > list?  If I telnet in and just send "list", I get "-ERR Command is not
> > valid in this state"; but if I send the "user" and "pass" commands first
> > to authenticate myself, it works fine.
> 
> I've just seen your post, after resending the original
> 
> As far as I know, I typed in everything correctly several times. I'll try
> again just to make sure.

If it still doesn't work, please try to post an exact transcript of what
you sent to the server and how it responded (obscure any addresses or
passwords you don't want made public, of course!)

Getting the response "Command is not valid in this state" to a "list"
command definitely suggests that the server doesn't know what mailbox
you want a listing of, i.e. that you have failed to log in correctly.

-- 
Simon Turner                                    DoD #0461
simon@twoplaces.co.uk
    Trust me -- I know what I'm doing!          -- Sledge Hammer

On Monday, in article
     <20120806.1008.930252snz@twoplaces.co.uk>
     simon@twoplaces.co.uk "Simon Turner" wrote:

> [Something went awry with your followup; I've fixed it]
>
> On Monday, in article
>      <20120806.0930.2snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
>      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
>
> > On Monday, in article
> >      <20120806.0903.930245snz@twoplaces.co.uk>
> >      simon@twoplaces.co.uk "Simon Turner" wrote:
> >
> > > On Sunday, in article
> > >      <20120805.1127.11snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
> > >      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
> > >
> > > > Carrying out some tests with pop3 and mail.demon.co.uk.
> > > >
> > > > Another problem has turned up In the last few hours. I telnet to
> > > > mail.demon.co.uk 110 it lets me in, but the command list does not work.
> > > > Get the message "err command not valid in this state". I went back to
> > > > Gremnos 03d nhat was working two days ago. Same problem, has anything
> > > > changed?
> > >
> > > Nothing seems to have changed.  Are you remembering to send the
> > >
> > >   user administrator@yourhost.dcu
> > >
> > > and
> > >
> > >   pass yourpassword
> > >
> > > commands first, to ensure the server knows what mailbox you want to
> > > list?  If I telnet in and just send "list", I get "-ERR Command is not
> > > valid in this state"; but if I send the "user" and "pass" commands first
> > > to authenticate myself, it works fine.
> >
> > I've just seen your post, after resending the original
> >
> > As far as I know, I typed in everything correctly several times. I'll try
> > again just to make sure.
>
> If it still doesn't work, please try to post an exact transcript of what
> you sent to the server and how it responded (obscure any addresses or
> passwords you don't want made public, of course!)
>
> Getting the response "Command is not valid in this state" to a "list"
> command definitely suggests that the server doesn't know what mailbox
> you want a listing of, i.e. that you have failed to log in correctly.
>

I wrote this:

As far as I know, I typed in everything correctly. I'll try again just to make
sure.

I've just tried again, result the same.

I type in:

telnet mail.demon.co.uk 110 user default mailbox pass **
When connected I get
-OK tHE microsoft Exchange POP3 Server is ready.
type in the command "list" and get back:
-ERR Command is not valid in this state.
Press enter and get
-ERR Protocol error. 19
Press enter and get
-ERR Protocol error. 20
Telnet session 1 closed: EOF
Hit enter to continue                     

I can still collect mail using the "pop3 collect" command. I assume this means
that the default mailbox is still the same. I have not changed anything at the
management portal. I'll take a look later to make sure nothing has changed.

On Monday, in article
     <20120806.1656.6snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
     colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:

> > > > On Sunday, in article
> > > >      <20120805.1127.11snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
> > > >      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Carrying out some tests with pop3 and mail.demon.co.uk.
> > > > >
> > > > > Another problem has turned up In the last few hours. I telnet to
> > > > > mail.demon.co.uk 110 it lets me in, but the command list does
> > > > > not work.

[...]

> As far as I know, I typed in everything correctly. I'll try again just
> to make sure.
> 
> I've just tried again, result the same.
> 
> I type in:
> 
> telnet mail.demon.co.uk 110 user default mailbox pass **

Ah; I see the problem.  You have to send the "user" and "pass" POP3
commands to the server, *after* the connection is open and it has sent
you its "POP3 service is ready" message.  Putting them in the telnet
command line does nothing, because all telnet does is make the initial
connection to the server on TCP port 110: it doesn't send any data to
the server at all.  Telnet is like a dumb terminal, sending your
keystrokes to the server and displaying the server's responses on your
screen.

> When connected I get
> -OK tHE microsoft Exchange POP3 Server is ready.
> type in the command "list" and get back:
> -ERR Command is not valid in this state.

That's because the server has no idea who you are: that "list<return>"
command you sent it is the first thing it has heard from you.

The full sequence should be like this:

 1. Run the telnet command to connect to the server:

      net>telnet mail.demon.co.uk 110<enter>

 2. Wait for the telnet session to open, and the server to send its
    welcome message:

      +OK The Microsoft Exchange POP3 service is ready.

 3. Type the POP3 "user" command like this:

      user administrator@********.demon.co.uk<enter>

 4. Wait for the server's response:

      +OK

 5. Type the POP3 "pass" command like this:

      pass ********<enter>

 6. Wait for the server's response:

      +OK User successfully logged on.

 7. Now that you're logged in to the server, you can send it other POP3
    commands, like the "list" command:

      list<enter>

    then wait for the server's response, which will be something like:

      +OK 3 4934
      1 1782
      2 2907
      3 1055
      .

    indicating that you have three messages waiting, with total size
    4934 bytes; message 1 is 1782 bytes, message 2 is 2907, and message
    3 is 1055.

 8. If you wish, use the POP3 "top M B" command to see the header and the
    first B body lines of message M, e.g.:

      top 2 5<enter>	[header and first 5 body lines of message 2]

    to which the server will respond something like this:

      +OK
      Received: from smtp.demon.co.uk (192.168.70.9) by HVUT02.thus.corp
      [...snip some header lines...]
      X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: HVUT02.thus.corp
      X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous
      MIME-Version: 1.0
    
      [...first five lines of message body...]
      .

    If you only want the header, ask for 0 body lines (e.g. "top 2 0").

 9. You can retrieve the whole of message M (header and body) with the
    POP3 "retr M" command, e.g.:

      retr 2<enter>	[retrieve whole of message 2]

    to which the server will respond something like this:

      +OK
      Received: from smtp.demon.co.uk (192.168.70.9) by HVUT02.thus.corp
      [...snip some header lines...]
      X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: HVUT02.thus.corp
      X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous
      MIME-Version: 1.0
    
      [...snip message body...]
      .

10. Once you've finished, log out of the server by sending

      quit<enter>

    to which it will respond thus:

      +OK Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 POP3 server signing off.

Note that if you don't send anything to the server for 60 seconds, it
will time out and break the connection.

-- 
Simon Turner                                    DoD #0461
simon@twoplaces.co.uk
    Trust me -- I know what I'm doing!          -- Sledge Hammer

On Monday, in article
     <20120806.1810.930278snz@twoplaces.co.uk>
     simon@twoplaces.co.uk "Simon Turner" wrote:

> On Monday, in article
>      <20120806.1656.6snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
>      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
>
> > > > > On Sunday, in article
> > > > >      <20120805.1127.11snz@cj4386.demon.co.uk>
> > > > >      colin@cj4386.demon.co.uk "colin may" wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Carrying out some tests with pop3 and mail.demon.co.uk.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Another problem has turned up In the last few hours. I telnet to
> > > > > > mail.demon.co.uk 110 it lets me in, but the command list does
> > > > > > not work.
>
> [...]
>
> > As far as I know, I typed in everything correctly. I'll try again just
> > to make sure.
> >
> > I've just tried again, result the same.
> >
> > I type in:
> >
> > telnet mail.demon.co.uk 110 user default mailbox pass **
>
> Ah; I see the problem.  You have to send the "user" and "pass" POP3
> commands to the server, *after* the connection is open and it has sent
> you its "POP3 service is ready" message.  Putting them in the telnet
> command line does nothing, because all telnet does is make the initial
> connection to the server on TCP port 110: it doesn't send any data to
> the server at all.  Telnet is like a dumb terminal, sending your
> keystrokes to the server and displaying the server's responses on your
> screen.
>
> > When connected I get
> > -OK tHE microsoft Exchange POP3 Server is ready.
> > type in the command "list" and get back:
> > -ERR Command is not valid in this state.
>
> That's because the server has no idea who you are: that "list<return>"
> command you sent it is the first thing it has heard from you.
>
> The full sequence should be like this:
>
>  1. Run the telnet command to connect to the server:
>
>       net>telnet mail.demon.co.uk 110<enter>
>
>  2. Wait for the telnet session to open, and the server to send its
>     welcome message:
>
>       +OK The Microsoft Exchange POP3 service is ready.
>
>  3. Type the POP3 "user" command like this:
>
>       user administrator@********.demon.co.uk<enter>
>
>  4. Wait for the server's response:
>
>       +OK
>
>  5. Type the POP3 "pass" command like this:
>
>       pass ********<enter>
>
>  6. Wait for the server's response:
>
>       +OK User successfully logged on.
>
>  7. Now that you're logged in to the server, you can send it other POP3
>     commands, like the "list" command:
>
>       list<enter>
>
>     then wait for the server's response, which will be something like:
>
>       +OK 3 4934
>       1 1782
>       2 2907
>       3 1055
>       .
>
>     indicating that you have three messages waiting, with total size
>     4934 bytes; message 1 is 1782 bytes, message 2 is 2907, and message
>     3 is 1055.
>
>  8. If you wish, use the POP3 "top M B" command to see the header and the
>     first B body lines of message M, e.g.:
>
>       top 2 5<enter>    [header and first 5 body lines of message 2]
>
>     to which the server will respond something like this:
>
>       +OK
>       Received: from smtp.demon.co.uk (192.168.70.9) by HVUT02.thus.corp
>       [...snip some header lines...]
>       X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: HVUT02.thus.corp
>       X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous
>       MIME-Version: 1.0
>
>       [...first five lines of message body...]
>       .
>
>     If you only want the header, ask for 0 body lines (e.g. "top 2 0").
>
>  9. You can retrieve the whole of message M (header and body) with the
>     POP3 "retr M" command, e.g.:
>
>       retr 2<enter>     [retrieve whole of message 2]
>
>     to which the server will respond something like this:
>
>       +OK
>       Received: from smtp.demon.co.uk (192.168.70.9) by HVUT02.thus.corp
>       [...snip some header lines...]
>       X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthSource: HVUT02.thus.corp
>       X-MS-Exchange-Organization-AuthAs: Anonymous
>       MIME-Version: 1.0
>
>       [...snip message body...]
>       .
>
> 10. Once you've finished, log out of the server by sending
>
>       quit<enter>
>
>     to which it will respond thus:
>
>       +OK Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 POP3 server signing off.
>
> Note that if you don't send anything to the server for 60 seconds, it
> will time out and break the connection.

Many thanks, must be getting old? Everything is working OK.