Problem
When configuring Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) settings in the Terraform Enterprise UI, a test delivery failure provides an error message that lacks sufficient detail for troubleshooting.
The only error displayed is:
Error saving SMTP settings Delivery Test Error
Cause
The Terraform Enterprise UI does not display detailed connection or authentication errors from the SMTP server. This results in a generic failure message that is not actionable.
Solutions
To retrieve a more descriptive error, you need SSH access to the Terraform Enterprise server to inspect the container logs. The command varies based on your Terraform Enterprise version.
Solution 1: For TFE v202205-1 and Newer
For modern versions of Terraform Enterprise, use the following command to search the logs for SMTP-related entries.
$ docker logs tfe-atlas | grep 'SMTP'
Solution 2: For TFE Versions Before v202205-1
For older versions of Terraform Enterprise, the container name is different. Use this command instead.
$ docker logs ptfe_atlas | grep 'SMTP'
Solution 3: For Consolidated Services or FDO Versions
For installations using consolidated services or Flexible Deployment Options (FDO), you must execute the command inside the running container. Note that your container name may differ.
$ docker exec -it terraform-enterprise bash -c "egrep 'SMTP' /var/log/terraform-enterprise/atlas.log"
Outcome
The command output provides detailed information about the SMTP error, enabling you to identify and resolve the underlying problem with your SMTP server configuration.
Additional Information
- For more details on reviewing logs, please see the official Terraform Enterprise logging documentation.