Question

Has anyone seen JavaMail not sending proper MimeMessages to an SMTP server, depending on how the JVM in started? At the end of the day, I can’t send JavaMail SMTP messages with Subject: or From: fields, and it appears other headers are missing, only when running the app as a war.

The web project is built with Maven and I’m testing sending JavaMail using a browser and a simple mail.jsp to debug and see different behavior when launching the app with:

1) mvn jetty:run (mail sends fine, with proper Subject and From fields)

2) mvn jetty:run-war (mail sends fine, but missing Subject, From, and other fields)

I’ve meticulously run diff on the (verbose) Maven debug output (-X), and there are zero differences in the runtime dependencies between the two. I’ve also compared System properties, and they are identical. Something else is happening the jetty:run-war case that changes the way JavaMail behaves. What other stones need turning?

Curiously, I’ve tried a debugger in both situations and found that the javax.mail.internet.MimeMessage instance is getting created differently. The webapp is using Spring to send email picked off of an Apache ActiveMQ queue. When running the app as mvn jetty:run the MimeMessage.contentStream variable is used for message content. When running as mvn jetty:run-war, the MimeMessage.content variable is used for the message contents, and the
content = ASCIIUtility.getBytes(is);
call removes all of the header data from the parsed content. Since this seemed very odd, and debugging Spring/ActiveMQ is a deep dive, I created a simplified test without any of that infrastructure: just a JSP using mail-1.4.2.jar, yet the same headers are missing.

Also of note, these headers are missing when running the WAR file under Tomcat 5.5.27. Tomcat behaves just like Jetty when running the WAR, with the same missing headers.

With JavaMail debugging turned on, I clearly see different output.

GOOD CASE: In the jetty:run (non-WAR) the log output is:

DEBUG: JavaMail version 1.4.2
DEBUG: successfully loaded resource: /META-INF/javamail.default.providers
DEBUG: Tables of loaded providers
DEBUG: Providers Listed By Class Name: {com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport=javax.mail.Provider[TRANSPORT,smtps,com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport,Sun Microsystems, Inc], com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport=javax.mail.Provider[TRANSPORT,smtp,com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport,Sun Microsystems, Inc], com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPSSLStore=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,imaps,com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPSSLStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3SSLStore=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,pop3s,com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3SSLStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPStore=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,imap,com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3Store=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,pop3,com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3Store,Sun Microsystems, Inc]}
DEBUG: Providers Listed By Protocol: {imaps=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,imaps,com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPSSLStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], imap=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,imap,com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], smtps=javax.mail.Provider[TRANSPORT,smtps,com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport,Sun Microsystems, Inc], pop3=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,pop3,com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3Store,Sun Microsystems, Inc], pop3s=javax.mail.Provider[STORE,pop3s,com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3SSLStore,Sun Microsystems, Inc], smtp=javax.mail.Provider[TRANSPORT,smtp,com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport,Sun Microsystems, Inc]}
DEBUG: successfully loaded resource: /META-INF/javamail.default.address.map
DEBUG: getProvider() returning javax.mail.Provider[TRANSPORT,smtp,com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport,Sun Microsystems, Inc]
DEBUG SMTP: useEhlo true, useAuth true
DEBUG SMTP: trying to connect to host "mail.authsmtp.com", port 465, isSSL false
220 mail.authsmtp.com ESMTP Sendmail 8.14.2/8.14.2/Kp; Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:35:24 +0100 (BST)
DEBUG SMTP: connected to host "mail.authsmtp.com", port: 465

EHLO jmac.local
250-mail.authsmtp.com Hello sul-pubs-3a.Stanford.EDU [171.66.201.2], pleased to meet you
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250-SIZE 52428800
250-AUTH CRAM-MD5 DIGEST-MD5 LOGIN PLAIN
250-DELIVERBY
250 HELP
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "PIPELINING", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "8BITMIME", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "SIZE", arg "52428800"
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "AUTH", arg "CRAM-MD5 DIGEST-MD5 LOGIN PLAIN"
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "DELIVERBY", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "HELP", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Attempt to authenticate
DEBUG SMTP: check mechanisms: LOGIN PLAIN DIGEST-MD5 
AUTH LOGIN
334 VXNlcm5hjbt7
YWM0MDkwhi==
334 UGFzc3dvjbt7
YXV0aHNtdHAydog3
235 2.0.0 OK Authenticated
DEBUG SMTP: use8bit false
MAIL FROM:<[e-mail]>
250 2.1.0 <[e-mail]>... Sender ok
RCPT TO:<[e-mail]>
250 2.1.5 <[e-mail]>... Recipient ok
DEBUG SMTP: Verified Addresses
DEBUG SMTP:   Jason Thrasher <[e-mail]>
DATA
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line by itself
From: Webmaster <[e-mail]>
To: Jason Thrasher <[e-mail]>
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Subject: non-Spring: Hello World
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hello World: message body here
.
250 2.0.0 n5I0ZOkD085654 Message accepted for delivery
QUIT
221 2.0.0 mail.authsmtp.com closing connection

BAD CASE: The log output when running as a WAR, with missing headers, is quite different:

Loading javamail.default.providers from jar:file:/Users/jason/.m2/repository/javax/mail/mail/1.4.2/mail-1.4.2.jar!/META-INF/javamail.default.providers
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=imap, className=com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=imaps, className=com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPSSLStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=smtp, className=com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=smtps, className=com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=pop3, className=com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3Store, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=pop3s, className=com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3SSLStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
Loading javamail.default.providers from jar:file:/Users/jason/Documents/dev/subscribeatron/software/trunk/web/struts/target/work/webapp/WEB-INF/lib/mail-1.4.2.jar!/META-INF/javamail.default.providers
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=imap, className=com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=imaps, className=com.sun.mail.imap.IMAPSSLStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=smtp, className=com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=smtps, className=com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPSSLTransport, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=pop3, className=com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3Store, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: loading new provider protocol=pop3s, className=com.sun.mail.pop3.POP3SSLStore, vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc, version=null
DEBUG: getProvider() returning provider protocol=smtp; type=javax.mail.Provider$Type@98203f; class=com.sun.mail.smtp.SMTPTransport; vendor=Sun Microsystems, Inc
DEBUG SMTP: useEhlo true, useAuth false
DEBUG SMTP: trying to connect to host "mail.authsmtp.com", port 465, isSSL false
220 mail.authsmtp.com ESMTP Sendmail 8.14.2/8.14.2/Kp; Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:51:46 +0100 (BST)
DEBUG SMTP: connected to host "mail.authsmtp.com", port: 465

EHLO jmac.local
250-mail.authsmtp.com Hello sul-pubs-3a.Stanford.EDU [171.66.201.2], pleased to meet you
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-PIPELINING
250-8BITMIME
250-SIZE 52428800
250-AUTH CRAM-MD5 DIGEST-MD5 LOGIN PLAIN
250-DELIVERBY
250 HELP
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "PIPELINING", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "8BITMIME", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "SIZE", arg "52428800"
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "AUTH", arg "CRAM-MD5 DIGEST-MD5 LOGIN PLAIN"
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "DELIVERBY", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Found extension "HELP", arg ""
DEBUG SMTP: Attempt to authenticate
DEBUG SMTP: check mechanisms: LOGIN PLAIN DIGEST-MD5 
AUTH LOGIN
334 VXNlcm5hjbt7
YWM0MDkwhi==
334 UGFzc3dvjbt7
YXV0aHNtdHAydog3
235 2.0.0 OK Authenticated
DEBUG SMTP: use8bit false
MAIL FROM:<[e-mail]>
250 2.1.0 <[e-mail]>... Sender ok
RCPT TO:<[e-mail]>
250 2.1.5 <[e-mail]>... Recipient ok
DEBUG SMTP: Verified Addresses
DEBUG SMTP:   Jason Thrasher <[e-mail]>
DATA
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line by itself

Hello World: message body here
.
250 2.0.0 n5I0pkSc090137 Message accepted for delivery
QUIT
221 2.0.0 mail.authsmtp.com closing connection

Here’s the actual mail.jsp that I’m testing war/non-war with.

<%@page import="java.util.*"%>
<%@page import="javax.mail.internet.*"%>
<%@page import="javax.mail.*"%>

<%
    InternetAddress from = new InternetAddress("[e-mail]", "Webmaster");
    InternetAddress to = new InternetAddress("[e-mail]", "Jason Thrasher");
    String subject = "non-Spring: Hello World";
    String content = "Hello World: message body here";

    final Properties props = new Properties();
    props.setProperty("mail.transport.protocol", "smtp");
    props.setProperty("mail.host", "mail.authsmtp.com");
    props.setProperty("mail.port", "465");
    props.setProperty("mail.username", "myusername");
    props.setProperty("mail.password", "secret");
    props.setProperty("mail.debug", "true");
    props.setProperty("mail.smtp.auth", "true");
    props.setProperty("mail.smtp.socketFactory.class", "javax.net.ssl.SSLSocketFactory");
    props.setProperty("mail.smtp.socketFactory.fallback", "false");

    Session mailSession = Session.getDefaultInstance(props);

    Message message = new MimeMessage(mailSession);
    message.setFrom(from);
    message.setRecipient(Message.RecipientType.TO, to);
    message.setSubject(subject);
    message.setContent(content, "text/plain;charset=UTF-8");

    Transport trans = mailSession.getTransport();
    trans.connect(props.getProperty("mail.host"), Integer
            .parseInt(props.getProperty("mail.port")), props
            .getProperty("mail.username"), props
            .getProperty("mail.password"));
    trans.sendMessage(message, message
            .getRecipients(Message.RecipientType.TO));
    trans.close();
%>

email was sent

SOLUTION:

Yes, the problem was transitive dependencies of Apache CXF 2. I had to exclude geronimo-javamail_1.4_spec from the build, and just rely on javax’s mail-1.4.jar.

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
    <artifactId>cxf-rt-frontend-jaxws</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.6</version>
    <exclusions>
        <exclusion>
            <groupId>org.apache.geronimo.specs</groupId>
            <artifactId>geronimo-javamail_1.4_spec</artifactId>
        </exclusion>
    </exclusions>
</dependency>

Thanks for all of the answers.

Answer 1

Is it possible that when you build it as a WAR that other dependencies are being pulled in? It seems others have encountered this problem, and the cause was a bug in geronimo (for more information, see http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/geronimo-user/200902.mbox/[e-mail]%3E ).

We also had geronimo-javamail_1.4_spec-1.2 included in our product and that package has a bug with headers. We excluded this (along with geronimo-activation_1.1_spec) from our dependencies and it corrected the problem.