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PMTA knowledge base›Command§ 4.2.1

pmtad –debug

Starting in the console with output to the screen
The last way to learn the cause when there is no log

Starts the engine in the foreground and prints error messages to the screen instead of the log.

Needed when the node does not come up and the pmta-startuperr.log startup log has no cause. On Unix, the /usr/sbin directory must be in the search path before the call.

Most often the start fails immediately with an error message — it is fixed, and the service is started the normal way.

The main trap is running it on a working node. A second instance will go for the same ports; the command is for a node that is down, not for one that is running.
What the Hub does. It does not call it: this is manual diagnosis of a node that will not start. During installation the Hub only checks that the engine responds to show version and listens on its ports.
Recommended values

When to use it:

Question This command or not
why the node does not start when the log is silent yes
why it does not start when the cause is in the log no — pmta-startuperr.log first
what is going on with a running node no — show status
The purpose, the diagnosis order and the search path come from the manual (§ 4.2.1). The analysis about a running node is ours.
Example configuration
# the node does not come up: start it in the foreground
/usr/sbin/pmtad --debug
The manual shows a typical outcome — Startup error: No logging file specified: the error is printed immediately.
yellow — — directive names, blue — blocks. They are highlighted the same way in the text of the card.
Compatibility
PowerMTA 6.0
described in the manual of this version · platform: any
The vendor does not state the first version for every directive — there is no note here. The name also appears in the 5.0 edition of the manual.
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Related entries

2 relations

Can be replaced by

Where the node writes why it did not startThe same thing by another path — for when there is nowhere to write the message. § 4.2.1

Where you can see it

Investigating a startup failureA fallback source of information when the usual one yields nothing. § 4.2.1

How to check on the node
Before starting, make sure the service is really down:
systemctl status pmta
tail -20 /var/log/pmta/pmta-startuperr.log
If the service is running, a debug start is not needed: a second instance will run into the occupied ports.
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What else to read

3 articles

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In the Hub
Cost of a mistake
disruptive: applying it interrupts the node
Scenarios
Configuration lifecycle · Prepare a node for sending