# Can't use 'none' DISCOURSE\_SMTP\_AUTHENTICATION
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [January 16, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833 "2017-01-16T12:46:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/1 "2017-01-16T12:46:07Z")
According to [GitHub - discourse/discourse: A platform for community discussion. Free, open, simple. · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/wiki/Global-configuration-options), I should be able to set `DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: 'none'` in the `env:` section of my `app.yml` configuration file in order to “completely disable authentication”.
I’m trying to deploy Discourse inside an organization with a private email server which allows to send email from specific IPs internally but requires the applications to disable authentication when talking to it.
When I set `DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: 'none'` or `DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: none` in my `app.yml`, I obtain those errors in `shared/standalone/log/rails/production.log`:
```plaintext
Sent mail to me@myserver.tld (3.7ms)
Job exception: wrong authentication type none
```
It seems that [I’m not the only one to have this bug](https://meta.discourse.org/t/troubleshooting-email-on-a-new-discourse-install/16326/217).
---
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/2 "2017-01-16T15:25:10Z")
I have also tested to comment `DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME` setting like [said here](https://meta.discourse.org/t/job-exception-wrong-authentication-type-none/48516/2) without any success (I still have the same error message).
---
### Author:  [@fefrei](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fefrei)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/3 "2017-01-16T17:21:39Z")
I have a very similar setup and use these settings:
```yml
## TODO: The mailserver this Discourse instance will use
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: mail.my.organization.com # (mandatory)
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 587 # (optional)
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: user@example.com # (optional)
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: pa$$word # (optional)
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/4 "2017-01-16T17:34:57Z")
Same here. We have no auth set up for email (at least as far as Discourse is concerned).
---
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/5 "2017-01-16T20:18:57Z")
And did you (@jomaxro or @fefrei) updated your Discourse instance since November 22, 2016?
Because @iarwain seems to have [the same problem as me since this date](https://meta.discourse.org/t/troubleshooting-email-on-a-new-discourse-install/16326/217) and says it was working previously.
The only difference I can see between your configuration and mine is that I did not comment `DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT`. I will try this tomorrow (hoping that port `25` is the default one).
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/6 "2017-01-16T20:19:30Z")
Yes. I’ve updated my instance many times since then - we’re on the absolute latest version of Discourse.
Edit: Let me SSH in and grab my config for you. One moment.
Edit 2: @anthony-o here you go:
```plaintext
## TODO: The SMTP mail server used to validate new accounts and send notifications
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: mail.rpi.edu # required
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25 # (optional, default 587)
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: *redacted* # required
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: *redacted* # required, WARNING the char '#' in pw can cause problems!
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: true # (optional, default true)
```
Note: Our SMTP server _requires_ authentication to work, but because our Discourse instance in on a subdomain which doesn’t have an account that works for mail (mismatch in domains), we got a special IP based exception on the mail server from the postmaster.
---
### Author:  [@fefrei](https://meta.discourse.org/u/fefrei)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/7 "2017-01-16T20:19:51Z")
My Discourse installs closely follow the latest beta.
---
### Author:  [@iarwain](https://meta.discourse.org/u/iarwain)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/8 "2017-01-16T23:27:14Z")
I haven’t tinkered with it for a while, I’ll need to try it again with the latest.
Last time I investigated, RoR’s `ActionMailer::Base` would only work [without authentication if its `:authentication` settings field was not defined](http://api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActionMailer/Base.html). However, if my memory serves me well, Discourse would pass it `:plain` by default when the `DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME` and `DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD` were not defined.
Again, I haven’t touched it since mid-November, I’ll check it again in the coming days.
---
### Author:  [@iarwain](https://meta.discourse.org/u/iarwain)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/9 "2017-01-17T00:15:37Z")
I did a try with Discourse 1.3.10 (docker version) and I can confirm it’s now working for me as well, with the same configuration file as before.
---
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2017, 9:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/10 "2017-01-17T09:30:54Z")
So here are my tests.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: none
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Here the error is “`Job exception: SMTP-AUTH requested but missing secret phrase`”.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: none
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Here the error is “`Job exception: wrong authentication type none`”.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: ""
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Here it’s back to “`Job exception: SMTP-AUTH requested but missing secret phrase`”.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: ""
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Same error “`Job exception: SMTP-AUTH requested but missing secret phrase`”.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: ""
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Same error.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: 'none'
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: ""
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Back to “`Job exception: wrong authentication type none`”.
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: 'none'
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: "none"
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Here I’ve got “`Job exception: 504 5.7.4 Unrecognized authentication type`” (that’s at least a reply of the SMTP server I suppose).
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_USER_NAME: myusername@server.tld
#DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: 'none'
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PASSWORD: "none"
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ENABLE_START_TLS: false # (optional, default true)
```
Same error as last one.
So I’m a bit confused, I think there is really a bug in Discourse that doesn’t support real `none` authentication type.
@jomaxro, I’m sure that you didn’t defined `DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION` so `plain` is used, and that means that your SMTP server accepts any authentication (username / password) from the Discourse host, am I wrong?
---
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/11 "2017-01-17T10:49:18Z")
I’ve checked [that other topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/app-yml-settings-for-internal-smtp-relay/13843/8) and what @NULLpointer suggested doesn’t seem to work anymore (at least, it is not working for me now).
It seems that @snarke and @homebrewhops had once the same requirement, are you guys up to date with the latest Discourse version and still use a SMTP server without any authentication?
---
### Author:  [@jomaxro](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jomaxro)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2017, 11:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/12 "2017-01-17T11:15:39Z")
> [@anthony-o](#):
>
> @jomaxro, I’m sure that you didn’t defined DISCOURSE\_SMTP\_AUTHENTICATION so plain is used, and that means that your SMTP server accepts any authentication (username / password) from the Discourse host, am I wrong?
OK - so you’re right at the limit of my email knowledge here…if I recall correctly (and there’s no guarantee of that), our SMTP server does not require authentication, however, _something_ will block all email that isn’t properly authenticated (with username/password) or coming from a whitelisted IP.
---
### Author:  [@anthony-o](https://meta.discourse.org/u/anthony-o)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/13 "2017-01-17T13:01:35Z")
At last I’ve managed to make it working!
For my configuration tests I was using the following command:
```plaintext
sudo ./launcher destroy app && sudo ./launcher start app
```
I’ve finally executed the **rebuild** command
```plaintext
sudo ./launcher rebuild app
```
with the following configuration (all other non displayed `DISCOURSE_SMTP_*` parameter were commented)
```plaintext
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: none
DISCOURSE_SMTP_OPENSSL_VERIFY_MODE: none
```
and the mail was finally sent, so I could continue my installation!
---
### Author:  [@homebrewhops](https://meta.discourse.org/u/homebrewhops)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/14 "2017-01-26T18:54:27Z")
Thank you @anthony-o!!
The key was: _(all other non displayed DISCOURSE\_SMTP\_ parameter were commented)_\*
```
DISCOURSE_SMTP_ADDRESS: my.smtp.server.tld
DISCOURSE_SMTP_PORT: 25
DISCOURSE_SMTP_AUTHENTICATION: none
DISCOURSE_SMTP_OPENSSL_VERIFY_MODE: none
```
---
### Author:  [@jfbourdeau](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jfbourdeau)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/15 "2019-09-16T21:17:41Z")
This is an old thread but I am trying to do the same, to force Discourse to not authenticate to send email using a smart host ( Smtp Server accepting Relay from Discourse IP).
---
### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cant-use-none-discourse-smtp-authentication/55833/16 "2024-06-08T12:37:09Z")
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