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8.7 Add Debugging for DetailIn rule-testing mode the -d command (Section 16.1) can be used to turn debugging output on and off. Prior to V8.7 sendmail, the -d could be specified only on the command line. Beginning with V8.7 sendmail, the -d can also be specified in rule-testing mode. We illustrate the latter technique here. Debugging output can reveal in great detail how individual rules are being handled. A debugging category and level of 21.12 (-d21.1), for example, causes sendmail to print the LHS of each rule as it is tried. To illustrate, consider the following (highly simplified) configuration-file rule set: V10 STest R @ $#local $:$n handle <> form R $* < @ $+ > $* $#$M $@$R $:$1<@$2>$3 user@some.where R $+ $#local $:$1 local names Normal output that is produced when a rule set name and an address are entered at the > prompt looks like this: > Test george Test input: george Test returns: $# local $: george But if we turn on debugging using the -d rule-testing command: > -d21.12 the output that is produced when the same rule set number and address are entered is more verbose than it was before: > Test george Test input: george -----trying rule: @ ----- rule fails -----trying rule: $* < @ $+ > $* ----- rule fails -----trying rule: $+ -----rule matches: $# local $: $1 rewritten as: $# local $: george Test returns: $# local $: george Observe that the first rule in the Test rule set (the lone @) does not match george in the workspace. Therefore, that rule fails and is skipped. Then the more complicated rule ($*<@$+>$*) is tried, and it too fails. Finally, the $+ operator in the last rule matches george, and the workspace is rewritten. Note that the extra output that is produced by -d can potentially run to many lines. To capture the output for later examination, consider running sendmail in rule-testing mode from within a script(1), emacs(1), or similar session. To turn off the extra debugging output, just reuse the -d rule-testing command and specify a level of zero: > -d21.0 A -d with no category or level behaves the same as the -d command-line switch (Section 16.1). It sets a default of 0-99.1. 8.7.1 A TrickIn debugging large configuration files, the output that is produced by the -d21.15 switch can become too huge to examine conveniently. A good alternative (when modifying or adding rules) is to temporarily insert a fake subroutine call before and after individual rules to see what they do: R$* $:$>TEST $1 With the fake wrapper around the new rule (the name TEST is arbitrary), ordinary rule testing with -bt now shows how the address is rewritten by that rule: 3 input: ... TEST input: ... TEST returns: ... If you use this technique, remember, of course, to remove the fake subroutine calls before putting that configuration file into use. |
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