smtplib.SMTPDataError: (503, 'Error: need RCPT command')

[Richard van de Stadt]

Hi,

This is the first time I've been using the stuff below with Python 2.1.1 running
on Solaris 5.8. I never got the error below before. It runs fine on Linux with
Python 1.5.2, and has been running fine for years on a Solaris 5.6 system, with
Python 1.5.2, 2.1 and 2.1.1. Could the error below be caused by Solaris 5.8's
version of sendmail?

Could anyone explain what this RCPT command is that seems to be needed?

---------------------
mail.sendmail(fromaddr, recipients, message % locals())
  File "/usr/local/pkg/Python-2.1.1/lib/python2.1/smtplib.py", line 496, in sendmail
    (code,resp) = self.data(msg)
  File "/usr/local/pkg/Python-2.1.1/lib/python2.1/smtplib.py", line 386, in data
    raise SMTPDataError(code,repl)
smtplib.SMTPDataError: (503, 'Error: need RCPT command')
---------------------

Here's a part of my send_email function:
    ...
    fromstring = '...'
    fromaddr = maintaineremail
    cc_list = string.join ((chairemail, maintaineremail), ', ')
    date = ctime(time())
    dayName = date[:3] + ','
    monthName = date[3:7]
    day = date[7:10]
    year = date[19:]
    Time = date[10:19]
    timeZone = ' ' + tzname[daylight]
    date = dayName + day + monthName + year + Time + timeZone
    message = """\
Subject: %(subject)s
Date: %(date)s
From: %(fromstring)s <%(fromaddr)s>
Reply-To: %(fromaddr)s
To: %(to_list)s
Cc: %(cc_list)s
X-Mailer: Python smtplib

%(body)s
"""
    try:
        mail = smtplib.SMTP(LocalMailServer)
    except:
        mail = smtplib.SMTP(altLocalMailServer)
    mail.sendmail(fromaddr, recipients, message % locals())
    mail.quit()

----------------------------------
Thanks for your help,

Richard.