Gmail blocks emails from Postfix client on Linux

Problem:

I want to send email notification to my Gmail account from Linux server using Postfix client. Mails are not received and /var/log/maillog is full of the following error messages:

Aug 18 17:24:29 rac1 postfix/smtp[17580]: connect to gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[74.125.69.27]:25: Connection timed out
Aug 18 17:24:29 rac1 postfix/smtp[17580]: connect to gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[2607:f8b0:4001:c0d::1a]:25: Network is unreachable
Aug 18 17:24:59 rac1 postfix/smtp[17580]: connect to alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[173.194.77.27]:25: Connection timed out
Aug 18 17:25:29 rac1 postfix/smtp[17580]: connect to alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com[173.194.219.27]:25: Connection timed out

Solution:

Configure Postfix and Gmail account accordingly.

1. Confirm that the myhostname parameter is configured with your server’s FQDN:

# grep ^myhostname /etc/postfix/main.cf
myhostname = rac1.example.com

2. Generate an App Password for Postfix:

Click on App passwords -> Select app dropdown -> choose Other (custom name) -> Enter “Postfix” -> click GENERATE.

Postfix app password is generated in yellow box, copy and save it (generated_password_goes_here will be changed by this value).

3. Fill SMTP Host, username, and password in /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd

# cat /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
smtp.gmail.com your_username@gmail.com:generated_password_goes_here

4. Create the hash db file

# postmap /etc/postfix/sasl_passwd

5. Configure the Postfix Relay Server:

# grep ^relayhost /etc/postfix/main.cf
relayhost = [smtp.gmail.com]:587

6.  To enable authentication, add the following parameters in /etc/postfix/main.cf

smtp_sasl_auth_enable = yes
smtpd_tls_auth_only = yes
smtp_sasl_password_maps = hash:/etc/postfix/sasl_passwd
smtp_sasl_security_options = noanonymous
smtp_tls_security_level = encrypt

7. Reload Postfix service:

# systemctl reload postfix

8. For sending test email, I use Flashgrid tool:

[root@rac1 ~]# flashgrid-node test-alerts
FlashGrid 21.2.24.58935 #bb6005e9d66650d1996184c38d2fb8a2a78420a8
License: Active, Marketplace
Licensee: Flashgrid Inc.
Support plan: 24x7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Test alerts were sent

The alert is received now: