# Admin activation E-Mail not sent on fresh self-hosted install (ubuntu 20.04)

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/admin-activation-e-mail-not-sent-on-fresh-self-hosted-install-ubuntu-20-04/176330>\
**Category:** Self-hosting\
**Created:** [January 17, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/admin-activation-e-mail-not-sent-on-fresh-self-hosted-install-ubuntu-20-04/176330 "2021-01-17T01:22:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![cazee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/cazee/32/206311_2.png) [@cazee](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cazee)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/admin-activation-e-mail-not-sent-on-fresh-self-hosted-install-ubuntu-20-04/176330/1 "2021-01-17T01:22:37Z")

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Hi Community,

I have a well runing self-hosted disourse install on a VPS with ubuntu 18.04 for about a year now. As the forum has grown, I started prepairing to switch to a more powerful VPS. So, I took a minimal ubuntu 20.04 image, applied some typical hardenings and installed discourse docker following the 30 mins install guide. I used the exact same values as for the well running install. But: the activation e-mail is not sent. The [Troubleshooting email on a new Discourse install](https://meta.discourse.org/t/troubleshooting-email-on-a-new-discourse-install/16326) guide did not help - I can connect using telnet, but am getting the following error when running `./discourse-doctor`:

```
>==================== MAIL TEST ====================
For a robust test, get an address from http //www mail-tester com/
Or just send a test message to yourself.
Email address for mail test? ('n' to skip) [anonymized]: test-9ymkghbvc@srv1 mail-tester com
Sending mail to test-9ymkghbvc@srv1.mail-tester com. . .
Testing sending to test-9ymkghbvc@srv1.mail-tester com using smtp mailbox org:587.
==================== ERROR ======================
                                    UNEXPECTED ERROR
>
>503 5.5.1 Error: authentication not enabled
>
>
>================== SOLUTION =====================
>This is not a common error. No recommended solution exists!
>
>Please report the exact error message above to https //meta discourse org/
(And a solution, if you find one!)
=================================================

```

(had to strip off some pieces of the URLs above to be able to post here)

Strange fact: I get the same error when running `./discourse-doctor` on my well running VPS as well, so I don’t know if the error is relevant.  
As you see, I am using [mailbox.org](http://mailbox.org) as email provider which works very well and is a great choice in terms of privacy and a robust email infrastructure setup. I have checked host and port and am usng this in Thunderbird an also in the other discourse install for years.

Any ideas? The only difference I see between both VPS is that the working one runs ubuntu 18.08 while the issue is on the VPS running ubuntu 20.04.

Thanks, cazee

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_[View the full topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/admin-activation-e-mail-not-sent-on-fresh-self-hosted-install-ubuntu-20-04/176330)._