End-user forwarder and autoresponder.

[JCC]

I'm a site admin and my users use a cpanel Webmail interface to access their mail. (They can choose from Squirl and RoundCube).
Some time ago, they could manage their own forwarders and autoresponders but recently the option of defining a forwarder has dissapeared (for endusers, for the sysadmin it is still available). Where has the option to install a forwarder gone?
A major problem arises when people are out of the office or absent: previously they could use a forwarder to redirect the mail to another person to deal with the contents and set up an autoresponder to inform the sender about this.
This is not possible anymore: end-users can use the autoresponder or create a filter to forward the mail, but what is needed:
1. Use auto responder to send away message.
2. Deliver to intended user's mailbox
3. Forward to person dealing with the mail for the time being

The functionality was changed without giving notice and without providing means to obtain the above workflow.

My question is: can the above be obtained with the current functionality in Cpanel or is there a way to (re) activate forwarders in the end-user interface?

Thanks,
JCC

[cPanelDon]

I'm a site admin and my users use a cpanel Webmail interface to access their mail. (They can choose from Squirl and RoundCube).
Some time ago, they could manage their own forwarders and autoresponders but recently the option of defining a forwarder has dissapeared (for endusers, for the sysadmin it is still available). Where has the option to install a forwarder gone?
A major problem arises when people are out of the office or absent: previously they could use a forwarder to redirect the mail to another person to deal with the contents and set up an autoresponder to inform the sender about this.
This is not possible anymore: end-users can use the autoresponder or create a filter to forward the mail, but what is needed:
1. Use auto responder to send away message.
2. Deliver to intended user's mailbox
3. Forward to person dealing with the mail for the time being

The functionality was changed without giving notice and without providing means to obtain the above workflow.

My question is: can the above be obtained with the current functionality in Cpanel or is there a way to (re) activate forwarders in the end-user interface?

Thanks,
JCC

Have any changes been made to the configured feature lists via WHM? This is where you can ensure the features are allowed for end-users to access; we have not made any changes that would modify existing feature list customization.

What theme is being used when accessing cPanel and Webmail (e.g., x3)?

[cPanelDon]

Have any changes been made to the configured feature lists via WHM? This is where you can ensure the features are allowed for end-users to access; we have not made any changes that would modify existing feature list customization.

What theme is being used when accessing cPanel and Webmail (e.g., x3)?

To clarify further, here is where the Feature Manager is located in WHM:
WHM: Main >> Packages >> Feature Manager
Documentation: Feature Manager

[JCC]

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not the sysadmin of the system.. I'm a client / user of CPanel. The hoster (BlueHost) claims that the forwarder settings in the end-user webmail interface was removed by CPanel.
So I feel I'm between a rock and a hard place.
My users miss vital functionality and I have no way to fix it.. (Apart from setting up my own mailserver...)

Any suggestions how to fix my problem?

Paste from e-mail with BlueHost support:

I don't see how curtailing this function would help with the spam problem. This link was intentionally removed because cpanel broke this functionality with an update. We'll put it back in as soon as they fix it.

On 1/11/2010 1:20 PM
> Hi, sorry but I have to disagree..
>
> Anyway, he said that the change was intentionally done to prevent spamming and that Bluehost is not intending to alter this setting. CPanel forum says its a hoster configuration thing where the hoster can choose to enable or disable certain functionality.
> Can it be that their update changed a default setting which can be switched on by BlueHost?
> Obviously, the functionality is still there (I think it was a copy from the sysadmin cpanel) but the link has been removed in the webmail interface.
>
> Another way to solve my problem would be to "enhance" the e-mail filter with autoresponder functionality. It has a crude autorespond function which only reports delivery errors to the sender. If there would be an addition to this where the user can write a short message to be delivered to the sender than that would be it.
>
> Yet another solution for my problem would be to alter the order in which the autoresponder and e-mail filter take place. Currently: when I have an e-mail filter in place, the autoresponder will not fire. If the check for an active autoresponder were to take place BEFORE the e-mail filter fires, then my problem would be solved...
>
> Please, help..
>
>
> Op 11-1-2010 20:23, feedback schreef:
>> No, noone made any change in intended functionality or plans. Cpanel still intends to fully support this feature. It's just that their update broke it. As soon as they fix it then that will be it.
>>
>> On 1/10/2010 6:50 AM
>>> Hi, my mail problems still exist..
>>>
>>> I have placed a question on the CPanel forum and they say that they did not change anything to the functionality.
>>> See http://forums.cpanel.net/f43/end-use...er-143325.html
>>> However, they talk about a setting in WHM where one can define the features which are available to the end-user.
>>> Although I don't know what WHM is, I guess it is a setting at Bluehost preventing my end-users of using the forwarder feature.
>>> Could you check this?
>>>

>>>

[cPanelDon]

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not the sysadmin of the system.. I'm a client / user of CPanel. The hoster (BlueHost) claims that the forwarder settings in the end-user webmail interface was removed by CPanel.
So I feel I'm between a rock and a hard place.
My users miss vital functionality and I have no way to fix it.. (Apart from setting up my own mailserver...)

Any suggestions how to fix my problem?

Assuming it is fully enabled in the WHM Feature Manager, where WHM is the area of the control panel for resellers and system administrators, the only instance where I could not see the e-mail forwarder feature in Webmail is when I was logged-in using the cPanel account user instead of an e-mail account user. To modify forwarders while logged-in as the cPanel account user it is necessary to access the cPanel account control panel (such as via port 2082 or 2083) instead of cPanel Webmail (such as via port 2095 or 2096).

Upon testing, while logged-in as an e-mail account user via cPanel Webmail (using X3 theme), I was able to successfully create a forwarder and receive a test message at the forwarder destination address.

[JCC]

Thanks Don,

When connected as an end-user on the webmail interface on BlueHost I cannot access a forwarder. This was available before but is gone with the latest update because CPanel broke its functionality (Bluehost claim.. ;-)

See the attached screenshot of the mail interface:
The connecttion url = domain:2095/webmail..
Is this the interface I should see?

Thanks

[cPanelDon]

Thanks Don,

When connected as an end-user on the webmail interface on BlueHost I cannot access a forwarder. This was available before but is gone with the latest update because CPanel broke its functionality (Bluehost claim.. ;-)

See the attached screenshot of the mail interface:
The connecttion url = domain:2095/webmail..
Is this the interface I should see?

Thanks

It appears the session is authenticated as an e-mail account user (based off the displayed icons and the length of the blacked-out username/e-mail address); if this is the case it would be my conclusion that the Forwarders feature is being hidden (perhaps by the Feature Manager configuration), and this is not something we have done.

If there is reported difficulty in using E-mail Forwarders I would consider asking your host to escalate the issue so that we may assist and inspect the precise circumstances involved; if this was already done with a ticket ID number available this will help to know so I could follow-up internally and check on the status.

[JCC]

Yes, it was a "normal" end-user mail session.

I got back to Bluehost with this and they explicitly state that it is disabled because cpanel broke the functionality..

Quote:
I did check and This link was intentionally removed because cpanel broke this functionality with an update. We'll put it back in as soon as they fix it.


So besides being oblivious about what may be wrong.... can it be fixed?

[cPanelDon]

Yes, it was a "normal" end-user mail session.

I got back to Bluehost with this and they explicitly state that it is disabled because cpanel broke the functionality..

Quote: I did check and This link was intentionally removed because cpanel broke this functionality with an update. We'll put it back in as soon as they fix it.

So besides being oblivious about what may be wrong.... can it be fixed?

Only the upstream host may re-enable the feature; this requires root (system administrator) access that only the host would have.

It will help greatly to know the full cPanel version and build number; with this information we can better determine what circumstances might be involved.

When logged into cPanel (not webmail) it should display the version number in an area on the side (left or right usually) nearby other stats like disk usage and bandwidth usage; however, if it is not seen, I would try the following. After having logged into either cPanel or Webmail (and before loading Horde, Roundcube, or SquirrelMail), use the browser to view the HTML source of the page. At the very bottom of the page source there should be an HTML comment that includes the full cPanel version and build number.

Here is an example of the area in the page HTML source that includes the full version and build number; in this example I used "$version" to indicate where to locate the needed information:

<!-- cPanel [$version] (pro) Copyright (c) 1997-2010 cPanel, Inc. Licensed on $hostname -->

Additionally, if your hosting service provider can provide you with a cPanel ticket number or other cPanel reference number (e.g., such as what may be provided via a ticket) then we can use this to follow-up internally and check on the status of the case.

[JCC]

The main CPanel page is : cPanel Pro 1.0 (RC1)
(This is displayed in as last information in the left info area)

The version in the source of the html page is:
cPanel [11.24.5-RELEASE_38506] (pro) Copyright (c) 1997-2008 cPanel, Inc. Licensed on box497.bluehost.com

Hope this helps.. Am I wrong in thinking it is a version from 2008 ?

[cPanelDon]

The main CPanel page is : cPanel Pro 1.0 (RC1)
(This is displayed in as last information in the left info area)

The version in the source of the html page is:
cPanel [11.24.5-RELEASE_38506] (pro) Copyright (c) 1997-2008 cPanel, Inc. Licensed on box497.bluehost.com

Hope this helps.. Am I wrong in thinking it is a version from 2008 ?

The copyright entry has been revised in the latest builds. For reference, cPanel version 11.24.5-RELEASE_38506 was released August 18, 2009, but the latest as of the time of writing is version 11.25.0-RELEASE_42404 that was made available January 14, 2010. Without knowing more about the erroneous symptoms seen by the host I cannot say with certainty what the precise resolution may be; however, as I could not reproduce any difficulty when testing Webmail using cPanel 11.25 I believe it was resolved in the RELEASE build tree as of December 16, 2009, in version 11.25.0-RELEASE_42213, per our official change log.

Here is the relevant change log entry:
Build: Release 42213; Date: 2009-12-16 18:45:35; Detail: Resolved issues with added Auto Responders and Forwarders via the Webmail interface

Reference:
cPanel Downloads - Latest cPanel/WHM Builds
cPanel Change Log - RELEASE Build Tree
cPanel Releases Mailing List Archives

[JCC]

Bluehost updated to the latest version today and the issue was fixed.
Thanks for your help!

[cPanelDon]

Bluehost updated to the latest version today and the issue was fixed.
Thanks for your help!

Thank you for confirming and sharing the resolution information.