>>> require verify = recipient
>>> ...
>>>
>>> i suspect this is not configured to do as i expect. i am hoping to
>>> respond to the sender with a 5xx if the user is not known
>>
>> First, test it with "exim -bt" (maybe with -bh plus -d-all+acl+route).
>
> To expand on that, "verify = recipient" just runs the routing chain to
> discover if a routing decision can be made. The knowledge that a recipient
> really exists lives there; if the recipient is local then a router that
> deals with local deliveries should be also checking local_part, and
> for external destinations the extent of knowledge is (usually) that
> a target MX can be found in DNS (the remote MX is not contacted at this
> time, unless you do a "callout" verify).
>
> A "-bt" test also runs the routing chain.
apoloies, i was being insufficiently clear. exim knows the user does
not exist
test.com:/home/randy# exim -bt [email protected]
[email protected] is undeliverable: Unrouteable address
the problem is that it is not responding with a 5xx to the remote
smtp sender. it is returnng a 250.
mail1.rg.net:/home/randy> telnet test.com 25
Trying 2001:418:1::62...
Connected to test.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
220 test.com ESMTP Exim 4.98.2 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 18:19:20 +0000
EHLO mail1.rg.net
250-test.com Hello mail1.rg.net [2001:418:1::42]
250-SIZE 209715200
250-LIMITS MAILMAX=6 RCPTMAX=50000
250-8BITMIME
250-PIPELINING
250-PIPECONNECT
250-STARTTLS
250 HELP
MAIL FROM: [email protected]
250 OK
RCPT TO: [email protected]
250 Accepted
QUIT
221 test.com closing connection
randy
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