./launcher start app - does not run (need to re-setup SMTP)

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AI-generated summary

A user, ideatank, encountered issues after needing to reconfigure SMTP settings for their Discourse instance. They initially tried ./launcher start app, but realized it doesn’t prompt for configuration — unlike ./discourse-setup mentioned by merefield. ideatank confirmed they should use ./discourse-setup to re-enter SMTP info, which pfaffman supported for users preferring guided input. Stephen clarified that to apply updated environment variables like SMTP credentials, a ./launcher destroy app followed by ./launcher start app is needed — unless ./discourse-setup already triggered a rebuild as confirmed later by Stephen. After editing settings, ideatank reported success but noticed emails were “queued as” in logs, not immediately sent. pfaffman and supermathie explained that “queued” is normal — it means SendGrid accepted the message and will process it asynchronously; the queue ID helps track delivery. ideatank planned to test with mail-tester.com and monitor logs. pfaffman also recommended reviewing the Troubleshoot email on a new Discourse install guide to ensure the notification email is accepted by the mail service.

1

I needed to re-setup SMTP and run the ./launcher start app command.
However I was not prompted to re-enter the installation data - email, SMTP etc…

The command run, and then exit to the command line after the re-installation.

Thoughts?

2

This just starts the container, it doesn’t prompt you for anything. The config is in /var/containers/app.yml

However, I think you are confusing this command with ./discourse-setup? (which does prompt)

3

Thank you Robert. So to re-enter the SMTP info should I use ./discourse-setup?

5

If you’re updating environment variables like SMTP credentials then you can’t just restart the container for them to be picked up.

You’re going to need to do a ./launcher destroy app before ./launcher start app for the container to start using the new values.

6

If you don’t know what nano is and would prefer to be prompted for the changes, then that’s what you want to do.

7

Thank you all for your help! I managed to edit the info. Now I am waiting to see if I get the message I just posted. Crossing fingers. :pray:

8

Stephen, since I have managed to edit the info when running ./discourse-setup do I have to deal with the commands ./launcher destroy app / ./launcher start app now??

9

If setup ran a rebuild then no. The above is in the event you want to avoid waiting for your instance to rebuild.

10

Got it and thank you.

11

Following up: I see my post initiated a mail sending BUT I also see all messages are queued but not sent " 250 Ok: queued as"

I am using Sendgrid.

Thoughts?

12

I’m pretty sure that “sent” and “queued” are synonyms. Are they in your sendgrid logs? If you use the email test can you send to mail-tester.com?

13

SMTP is transactional, so from the perspective of:

  • your system: “the message is sent, the remote system queued it as ABC1234567” → “the message was handed off to the next responsible MTA”
  • sendgrid: “the message was accepted and queued with queue ID ABC1234567”

What you don’t (can’t) see is the next step where another agent on sendgrid’s system goes through the queue, picks up your message, and hands it off to the next MTA.

The queue identifier helps with tracking - if it were to get lost you could go to sendgrid’s sysadmin and ask “what happened to queue ID ABC1234567 after your system accepted it?”

14

Hi Jay. It’s on the Discourse’s logs. I’ll do the email test too. Thank you!

15

Thank you Michael. I’ll report back when I receive an email from the system. Obviously I must receive the mailing.

16

See Troubleshoot email on a new Discourse install..
.you need to make sure that your notification email is one that your mail service will accept