Configure WAMP server to send email

Question

Is there a way that I can configure the WAMP server for PHP to enable the mail() function?

Answer 1

Configuring a working email client from localhost is quite a chore, I have spent hours of frustration attempting it. I'm sure someone more experienced may be able to help, or they may perhaps agree with me.

If you just want to test, here is a great tool for testing mail locally, that requires almost no configuration:

http://www.toolheap.com/test-mail-server-tool/

Answer 2

Install Fake Sendmail (download sendmail.zip). Then configure C:\wamp\sendmail\sendmail.ini:

smtp_server=smtp.example.com
smtp_port=465
auth_username=user@example.com
auth_password=your_password

The above will work against a email account. And then configure php.ini:

sendmail_path = "C:\wamp\sendmail\sendmail.exe -t"

Now, restart Apache, and that is basically all you need to do.

Answer 3

Using an open source program call Send Mail, you can send via wamp rather easily actually. I'm still setting it up, but here's a great tutorial by jo jordan. Takes less than 2 mins to setup.

Just tried it and it worked like a charm! Once I uncommented the error log and found out that it was stalling on the pop3 authentication, I just removed that and it sent nicely. Best of luck!

Answer 4

I tried Test Mail Server Tool and while it worked great, you still need to open the email on some client.

I found Papercut:

https://github.com/ChangemakerStudios/Papercut-SMTP (updated URL for 2021)

For configuration it's easy as Test Mail Server Tool (pratically zero-conf), and it also serves as an email client, with views for the Message (great for HTML emails), Headers, Body (to inspect the HTML) and Raw (full unparsed email).

It also has a Sections view, to split up the different media types found in the email.

It has a super clean and friendly UI, a good log viewer and gives you notifications when you receive an email.

I find it perfect, so I just wanted to give my 2c and maybe help someone.

Answer 5

You need a SMTP server to send your mail. If you have one available which does not require SMTP authentification (maybe your ISP's?) just edit the 'SMTP' ([mail function]) setting in your php.ini file.

If this is no option because your SMTP server requires authentification you won't be able to use the internal mail() function and have to use some 3rd party class which supports smtp auth. e.g. http://pear.php.net/package/Mail/

Answer 6

Sendmail wasn't working for me so I used msmtp 1.6.2 w32 and most just followed the instructions at DeveloperSide. Here is a quick rundown of the setup for posterity:

Enabled IMAP access under your Gmail account (the one msmtp is sending emails from)

Enable access for less secure apps. Log into your google account and go here

Edit php.ini, find and change each setting below to reflect the following:

; These are commented out by prefixing a semicolon
;SMTP = localhost
;smtp_port = 25

; Set these paths to where you put your msmtp files.
; I used backslashes in php.ini and it works fine.
; The example in the devside guide uses forwardslashes. 
sendmail_path = "C:\wamp64\msmtp\msmtp.exe -d -C C:\wamp64\msmtp\msmtprc.ini -t --read-envelope-from"

mail.log = "C:\wamp64\msmtp\maillog.txt"

Create and edit the file msmtprc.ini in the same directory as your msmtp.exe file as follows, replacing it with your own email and password:

# Default values for all accounts
defaults
tls_certcheck off
# I used forward slashes here and it works.
logfile C:/wamp64/msmtp/msmtplog.txt

account Gmail
host smtp.gmail.com
port 587
auth on
tls on
from ReplaceWithYourEmail@gmail.com
user ReplaceWithYourEmail@gmail.com
password ReplaceWithYourPassword
account default : gmail

Answer 7

Instead of installing and configure own SMTP server it is possible (easier) to use one's personal Gmail email and configure PHP/WAMP to use it and send email through it.

As of 2023 gmail does not support for personal users SMTP by default. So some earlier answers seems to be outdated. Now it seems to be necessary to enable 2-Way Authentication first and then generated App Password.

So let's configure Google side first:

1. In your Gmail click your icon (in top right)->Manage your Google Account->Security->2-Step Verification
2. set it up (you will need to receive SMS).
3. Then when it is set up go to 2-Step Verification again
4. At bottom there is App password->click it
5. • then Select app as "mail"
   • Select device as "Windows computer"
   • click "generate"
6. You will get 16 letters password which you will use later. So copy it.

Then you download Sendmail with TLS support. Basically it is app that takes text file with email address and subject and body. Then connects to SMTP server and send that.

You can download it from git hub:

https://github.com/sendmail-tls1-2/main

I used this file to be precise: Sendmail_v33_TLS1_2.zip

Unzip and configure sendmail.ini like following (don't forget to change auth_username and auth_password to your email and password):

smtp_server=smtp.gmail.com
smtp_port=587
smtp_ssl=tls
error_logfile=error.log
; note this is useful to uncoment and peek if something doesnt work
; debug_logfile=debug.log
auth_username=yourEmail@gmail.com
auth_password= that-16-letters-password-you-got-from-Google-App-Password

To test sendmail is working create test.txt in sendmail folder. Like this (but edit your receive email address):

From: anything@example.com 
To: FillYourReceive@email.com 
Subject: Your Subject 
Your Body message
Your Body message second line

Then go to command line to sendmail folder and run it as:

sendmail.exe < test.txt

You shall receive email in few seconds. If not check error.log file or enable debug file in sednmail.ini and check debug.log file also.

When this works configure your php.ini (wamp icon->PHP->php.ini [apache module]

;SMTP = localhost
;smtp_port = 25
sendmail_from ="admin@wampserver.vbe"
sendmail_path = "c:/wamp64/bin/Sendmail_v33_TLS1_2/sendmail.exe -t"
;mail.force_extra_parameters =
mail.add_x_header = Off

Of course edit sendmail_path to where you have sendmail.exe and best copy it to WAMP folder.

Restart apache wamp icon->Apache->Service Administration 'wampapache64'->Restart Service

Then create web page in your document root like test_mail.php with following data. (Just remember to change FillYOurReceiveEmail :

<?php
echo "<br>sendmail_path:".strval(ini_get('sendmail_path'));

$from = "anything@anywhere.com";
$to = "FillYOurReceiveEmail@gmail.com";
$subject = "Your email subject";
$message = "Your email body message";
$headers = [ "From: $from" ];

$ret = mail( $to, $subject, $message, implode( '\r\n', $headers ) );
// OR - PHP 7.2.0 or greater
//mail( $to, $subject, $message, $headers );
echo "<br>ret :".strval($ret);
?>

Then open in your browser page localhost/test_mail.php

You shall see something like:

sendmail_path:c:/wamp64/bin/Sendmail_v33_TLS1_2/sendmail.exe
ret :1

And you shall receive email to your filled email.

Answer 8

I used Mercury/32 and Pegasus Mail to get the mail() functional. It works great too as a mail server if you want an email address ending with your domain name.