/var/mail files disappear

turbo_acura · 11-27-2007, 04:43 AM

hello!!

Currently, mail is delivered into /var/mail/*, but after about 5 minutes, the file disappears. For example, if mail is delivered to the user SMITH (/var/mail/SMITH), you can see the email when you view the file '/var/mail/SMITH', but after about 5minutes, the file SMITH is no longer there unless another email is sent.

What I need is is for mail to be delivered to their respected files in /var/mail and to STAY there permanently. So any new emails coming in get automatically appended to the file. So you can see a history of all email in the file. Here is the example of one file '/var/mail/SMITH' to show you what permissions are on the file. I'll make a note that some other mailboxes are OK within /var/mail, which is REALLY strange!

This example is when /var/mail/SMITH just receive email, but after about 5min, this file will disappear, which isn't want i need. Sorry to keep repeating, but it seems like a weird thing and want to make sure the scenario of events of clear...THANK YOU!!!

[root@server mail]# ls -lah SMITH
-rw------- 1 SMITH mail 3.3K Nov 27 10:39 SMITH
[root@server mail]#

Tinkster · 11-28-2007, 01:10 AM

Is SMITH by any chancing running a mail-client? Does it support
local pick-up? Is there a file ~SMITH/Mail ?

Cheers,
Tink

turbo_acura · 11-28-2007, 03:45 AM

no mail-client running..not sure about 'local-pickup'?? i guess it relates to your question about the mail-client, so i'm thinking, no(?)...there is no '~SMITH/Mail'..is there any sort of logging that can show what might be deleting/clearing this file? i've tried to watch messages and maillog but nothing outstanding....

any other ideas?

appreciate your reply..thanks!

MQMan · 11-28-2007, 08:49 PM

About 5 minutes, or exactly every 5 minutes. In other words, do the mails stay around for 5 minutes each, or do they disappear at a point exactly 5 minutes apart. If it's the latter, then I would suspect some mail application, either locally, or remotely via something like popa3d.

Cheers.

turbo_acura · 11-29-2007, 08:13 AM

its OK now..thanks! i took your advice and noticed it a script in the cron that cleared the file every 5,15,25,35,45,55 past the hour...looking at times when the file was deleted and seeing that this script runs (one of many cron jobs!), i disabled it and noticed that the mail didn't deleted..our programmer made some changes to their script and it works!

guess this comes down to logical troubleshooting..

thanks again for the tip about timing...

Cheers!!!!!