amavisd-new does not scan for spam

[Wolf Rogner]

After configuring amavis according to the Ubuntu documentation spam does not get marked ("*****SPAM*****" as defined) nor does it get dropped (as defined in 21-ubuntu-defaults ... D_DISCARD)

If $sa_tag_level_deflt = 2.0; even if the rating exceeds 5 there is no X-SPAM header added
changing $sa_tag_level_deflt to -10 adds a X-SPAM header but spams are still forwarded to user mailboxes.

There is a mismatch between documentation and functionality -> a bug perhaps?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: amavisd-new 1:2.10.1-2ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-87.110-generic 4.4.73
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-87-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.10
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Aug 2 12:43:25 2017
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-08-15 (717 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: amavisd-new
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-06-05 (423 days ago)
mtime.conffile..etc.amavis.conf.d.15-content_filter_mode: 2015-08-17T11:42:55.312425
mtime.conffile..etc.amavis.conf.d.20-debian_defaults: 2017-08-02T12:32:45.320124
mtime.conffile..etc.amavis.conf.d.40-policy_banks: 2017-08-02T12:38:31.568117
mtime.conffile..etc.amavis.conf.d.50-user: 2017-08-02T12:38:52.628116

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Mark Rodgers (mrodg1998)]

I observed the same behavior in a new Ubuntu-Server 18.04 install.

It is possible that this behavior is related to two instances of Spamassassin running. Disabling the standalone Spamassassin ("systemctl disable spamassassin.service") made this problem go away. I still can see the spam check in the amavis logs, and now the headers show that spam checking has taken place.