spamassassin: sa-learn --sync -> "Argument "M-HM-JM-J" isn't numeric"

XXLRay · 06-22-2010, 03:19 AM

sa-learn throws an error when I try to synch with the database:

Code:

# sa-learn --sync
Argument "M-HM-JM-J" isn't numeric in umask at /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8.5/Mail/SpamAssassin/Locker/UnixNFSSafe.pm line 75.
bayes: synced databases from journal in 1 seconds: 2745 unique entries (3407 total entries)

There is a hint that there might be something wrong with the database permissions (http://old.nabble.com/-Bug-5771---Ne...d14678924.html).

I tried to change the file mode:

Code:

# chmod 0775 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_journal
# chmod 0775 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks

But this changed nothing. Any idea what I can do to fix this problem?

System-Information:

Code:

# cat /etc/issue.net
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 4 (Nahant Update 8)

# uname -r
2.6.9-89.0.11.ELsmp

# spamassassin -V
SpamAssassin version 3.2.4
running on Perl version 5.8.5

bathory · 06-22-2010, 03:51 AM

Hi,

According to the link you've posted, you don't need to change file permissions. You have to edit local.cf (usually located at /etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf) and use:

Code:

bayes_file_mode 0755

Regards

XXLRay · 06-22-2010, 05:59 AM

Thank you for this hint.

I changed the settings in my local.cf:

Code:

...
bayes_path /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes
bayes_file_mode 0775
...

My local permissions are:

Code:

#ls -l ~vscan/.spamassassin/bayes*
-rwxrw-r--  1 vscan vscan     86208 Jun 22 12:52 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_journal
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan 335368192 Jun 22 12:42 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_seen
-rwx------  1 vscan vscan   5423104 Jun 22 12:42 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan   3223552 Jun 28  2007 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire18391
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan   2330624 Apr 15  2008 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire24608
-rwxr--r--  1 vscan vscan   2985984 Mar 11 17:46 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire5867

I restarted amavisd-new (which uses spamassassin) but the output for sa-learn --sync is still the same.

Any more ideas?

bathory · 06-22-2010, 06:29 AM

Comparing the same 3 files ( bayes_journal, bayes_seen, bayes_toks) in my server, their attributes are 660 (rw-rw----)
So I guess the problem could be with bayes_toks that is not group writable.

XXLRay · 06-22-2010, 07:23 AM

Thank you. This was very helpful to eliminate a possible error. I changed the permissions of my files:

Code:

# ls -l ~vscan/.spamassassin/bayes*
-rw-rw-r--  1 vscan vscan     62832 Jun 22 14:19 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_journal
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan 335368192 Jun 22 14:14 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_seen
-rwxrwx---  1 vscan vscan   5423104 Jun 22 14:14 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan   3223552 Jun 28  2007 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire18391
-rwxrwxr-x  1 vscan vscan   2330624 Apr 15  2008 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire24608
-rwxr--r--  1 vscan vscan   2985984 Mar 11 17:46 /var/spool/amavis/.spamassassin/bayes_toks.expire5867

Afterwards I restarted Amavis with "/etc/init.d/amavisd restart" but the error message on "sa-learn --sync" is still the same

edit: Maybe the problem is that I have no bayes_journal. My standard salearn call is "sa-learn -p ~vscan/.spamassassin/user_prefs --dbpath ~vscan/.spamassassin --showdots --spam --dir /spamdirectory" which I ought to imply is syncing by default (as the --no-sync switch is not set). I think as follows there is no journal created. Maybe I should have mentioned this earlier.

update: I started sa-learn with the no-sync option. The journal was created but sa-learn --sync still refuses to offer proper output.

bathory · 06-22-2010, 08:08 AM

The journal is created during SA normal operation and stays there until bayes db is updated by sa-learn.

Regarding the problem:
Did sa-learn worked previously? Because since you're running RHEL it could be a SELinux problem.
Another thing is to check ~vscan/.spamassassin/user_prefs for a different bayes_file_mode setting.
Also try to run sa-learn adding the -u vscan option

XXLRay · 06-22-2010, 08:44 AM

Thank you for your remarks

I suppose sa-learn worked previously as "sa-learn --dump" offers a lot of input and the bayesian filter gives scores to mails.

~vscan/.spamassassin/user_prefs has no bayes_file_mode setting (it is almost empty).

The -u vscan option did not do any improvement.

The whole thing seems to be very mysterious for me.

bathory · 06-22-2010, 09:15 AM

I'm also baffled
The fact is that actually sa-learn syncing works:

Quote:

bayes: synced databases from journal in 1 seconds: 2745 unique entries (3407 total entries)

but the perl module compains about the file permissions.
Could be that you have to upgrade perl. Also if possible I suggest you to upgrada SA too

Regards

XXLRay · 06-22-2010, 10:10 AM

Yes, a colleague of mine upgraded perl (I think because of a new amavis version). This might possibly be the problem. Unfortunately RHEL4 does not offer a newer Version of spamassassin and we don't want too many modules being installed separate from the package management. Thus I will have to leave it as it is.