Sam Varshavchik wrote:

Thanks for the tip, Sam.

I tried this and got pretty much the same result as before, so I'm still at a loss. Sure hope someone can help.

Confirming the key details --

contents of $HOME/.courier:

| /usr/bin/vacation theuserslogon ./Maildir

no .forward file.

here's the maillog (with a large, inactive interval elided) when I sent a message at 17:39 until I gave up waiting about three hours later. (I removed the $HOME/.courier file, and the message was delivered):

Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courieresmtpd: started,ip=[72.2.6.25] Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierd: newmsg,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7: dns; scanner2.SMTPscan.com (scanner2.smtpscan.com [72.2.6.25]) Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 17:38:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 18:18:59 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 17:43:58 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 17:43:58 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 17:43:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 17:43:58 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 17:43:58 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 17:43:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 18:18:59 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 17:48:58 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 17:48:18 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[96.50.0.224], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 17:48:58 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 17:48:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 17:48:59 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 17:48:59 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 17:48:59 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 18:18:59 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 18:18:59 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 17:54:26 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 17:54:26 imap imapd-ssl: LOGOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=91, sent=963, time=0, starttls=1 Jan 17 18:09:27 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 18:09:27 imap imapd-ssl: LOGOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=91, sent=963, time=0, starttls=1 Jan 17 18:18:23 imap imapd-ssl: TIMEOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[96.50.0.224], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=75, sent=185271, time=1805, starttls=1 Jan 17 18:18:58 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 18:23:58 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 18:18:59 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 18:18:59 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 18:18:59 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 18:19:00 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 18:19:00 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 18:19:00 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 18:24:00 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 18:24:00 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: SHUTDOWN: respawnlo limit reached, system inactive. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Loading STATIC transport module libraries. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing [0/0] Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing uucp Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installed: module.uucp - Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing local Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installed: module.local - Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing fax Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installed: module.fax - Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing esmtp Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installed: module.esmtp - Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installing dsn Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Installed: module.dsn - Courier 0.53.1 Copyright 1999-2005 Double Precision, Inc. Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Initializing uucp Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Initializing local Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Initializing fax Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Initializing esmtp Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Initializing dsn Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Started ./courieruucp, pid=22588, maxdels=4, maxhost=4, maxrcpt=16 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Started ./courierlocal, pid=22571, maxdels=10, maxhost=4, maxrcpt=1 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Started ./courierfax, pid=4807, maxdels=1, maxhost=1, maxrcpt=1 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Started ./courieresmtp, pid=10377, maxdels=40, maxhost=4, maxrcpt=100 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Started ./courierdsn, pid=32632, maxdels=4, maxhost=1, maxrcpt=1 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: queuelo=200, queuehi=400 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Purging /var/courier/msgq Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Purging /var/courier/msgs Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 18:24:00 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 19:24:00 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 18:29:00 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 18:24:56 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 18:26:03 imap imapd-ssl: LOGOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=572, sent=257082, time=67, starttls=1 Jan 17 18:29:00 imap courierd: started,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,module=local,host=theuserslogon!!1005!1005!/data/home/theuserslogon!!,addr=<theuserslogon> Jan 17 18:29:00 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=none, wakeup time=none, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=1 Jan 17 18:29:00 imap courierlocal: id=00028419.49728832.000024C7,from=<der...@bisi.ca>,addr=<theu...@destination.com>,status: deferred Jan 17 18:29:00 imap courierd: completed,id=00028419.49728832.000024C7 Jan 17 18:29:00 imap courierd: Waiting. shutdown time=Sat Jan 17 19:24:00 2009, wakeup time=Sat Jan 17 19:24:00 2009, queuedelivering=1, inprogress=0 Jan 17 18:39:56 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 18:39:56 imap imapd-ssl: LOGOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=91, sent=963, time=0, starttls=1 Jan 17 18:55:21 imap imapd-ssl: LOGIN, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], protocol=IMAP Jan 17 18:55:21 imap imapd-ssl: LOGOUT, user=theuserslogon, ip=[67.223.84.211], headers=0, body=0, rcvd=91, sent=963, time=0, starttls=1