Mailing: Initial mailing to members, INVITATIONS and SIGN-IN

Developer help
1

your platform details - where and how you’re installing Ghost:
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=20.04
DISTRIB_CODENAME=focal
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION=“Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS”
Ghost version: 4.12.1
Installation Ghost installation following the procedure:

what theme you are using:
casper (default)

your member settings (is allow free signup on or off):
Subscription access:
Only people I invite.
People can sign-in from your site but won’t be able to sign up.

which type of email is not working:
SIGN-in email and initial invitation message to MEMBERS using email for sign-in or the initial email delivery with the invite after creating on the backend. The member never receive any email.

your configuration for the broken email type:
SMTP port used 1025
SMTP server is on 127.0.0.1
My Ghost website IS ABLE TO SEND CORRECT EMAILS to new STAFF, using the SMTP configuration in config.production.json:

  "mail": { "from": "redacted@supersite_dot_com",
            "service": "localsmtpserver",
            "transport": "SMTP",
            "options": {
                "host": "127.0.0.1",
                "port": 1025,
                "secureConnection": false,
                "auth": {
                    "user": "redacted@supersite_dot_com",
                    "pass": "redacted"
                }
            }
        },

any errors you’re seeing:

WORKING FINE WITH STAFF MAILING, like adding staff.

** I CAN ACESS AND READ THE SMTP SERVER LOGS FOR THE LOCAL SMTP SERVER IN MY LOCAL MACHINE, IT RECEIVE CORRECT COMMANDS ON STAFF transactions but not for members transactions.

***It seems that the SMTP server doesn’t even receive any HELO o connection attempt from GHOST when making transactional email to my MEMBERS.

don’t work for sign-in for new members, nor deliver the initial email with the invitation to the given member email.

tail -f ./content/logs/https___supersite_com_production.log

[2021-09-08 20:12:38] INFO "GET /members/api/member/" 204 3ms
[2021-09-08 20:12:38] INFO "GET /members/api/site/" 200 35ms
[2021-09-08 20:12:52] ERROR

NAME: EmailError
MESSAGE: Failed to send email. Reason: Mail from command failed - 451 4.0.0 backend: invalid return path: not owned by user.

level: normal

"Please see https://ghost.org/docs/config/#mail for instructions on configuring email."
EmailError: Failed to send email. Reason: Mail from command failed - 451 4.0.0 backend: invalid return path: not owned by user.
    at createMailError (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/core/server/services/mail/GhostMailer.js:60:12)
    at MailComposer.returnCallback (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/core/server/services/mail/GhostMailer.js:117:28)
    at SMTPConnectionPool._onConnectionError (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/pool.js:334:17)
    at SMTPClient.emit (events.js:400:28)
    at SMTPClient.emit (domain.js:470:12)
    at SMTPClient._onError (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/client.js:373:10)
    at SMTPClient._actionMAIL (/var/www/supersite.com/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/client.js:981:14)
    at SMTPClient._onData (/var/www/supersite.com/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/client.js:354:29)
    at TLSSocket.emit (events.js:400:28)
    at TLSSocket.emit (domain.js:470:12)
    at addChunk (internal/streams/readable.js:290:12)
    at readableAddChunk (internal/streams/readable.js:265:9)
    at TLSSocket.Readable.push (internal/streams/readable.js:204:10)
    at TLSWrap.onStreamRead (internal/stream_base_commons.js:188:23)

SenderError: Mail from command failed - 451 4.0.0 backend: invalid return path: not owned by user
    at SMTPClient._actionMAIL (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/client.js:981:23)
    at SMTPClient._onData (/var/www/redacted/versions/4.12.1/node_modules/simplesmtp/lib/client.js:354:29)
    at TLSSocket.emit (events.js:400:28)
    at TLSSocket.emit (domain.js:470:12)
    at addChunk (internal/streams/readable.js:290:12)
    at readableAddChunk (internal/streams/readable.js:265:9)
    at TLSSocket.Readable.push (internal/streams/readable.js:204:10)
    at TLSWrap.onStreamRead (internal/stream_base_commons.js:188:23)

[2021-09-08 20:12:52] INFO "POST /members/api/send-magic-link/" 500 182ms
username@redacted:/var/www/redacted$

Why I can’t send emails to MEMBERS with the same SMTP configuration stated in config.production.json, but it works for adding STAFF.
How can I send emails to MEMBERS ?

I undertand that the bulk email mailgun service are for massive subscription emailing, but sign in and signup for MEMBERS are made with the transactional email setup from ghost, just like for it is for STAFF module WHICH WORKS PERFECTLY with the current config.production.json.

Thanks in advance on any help regarding this issue.
I made my due dilligence and read mostly of your guides to setup email, works well only with staff transactions, not members transactions.
Matias.

2

Have you seen Why do I have to set up Mailgun for newsletters?? I think this will answer your question :)