Strange system mail about "updatedb"

lawrence_lee_lee · 06-28-2008, 06:41 AM

I recently received this system mail in /var/mail/myname. I cannot understand what the content means, but it seems serious because it keep notifying me. Can anyone help?

By the way, my system (Ubuntu7.10) frequently hang these days. Is it possible to be related to this notification?

Quote:

From root@skywalker Sat Jun 28 07:35:19 2008
Return-path: <root@skywalker>
Envelope-to: root@skywalker
Delivery-date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:35:19 +0800
Received: from root by skywalker with local (Exim 4.67)
(envelope-from <root@skywalker>)
id 1KCNTL-000284-Om
for root@skywalker; Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:35:19 +0800
From: Anacron <root@skywalker>
To: root@skywalker
Subject: Anacron job 'cron.daily' on skywalker
Message-Id: <E1KCNTL-000284-Om@skywalker>
Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:35:19 +0800

/etc/cron.daily/slocate:
updatedb: fatal error: The temp file '/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db.stf' already exists and does not appear to be a valid slocate database. Please remove before creating the database.

stress_junkie · 06-28-2008, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawrence_lee_lee

/etc/cron.daily/slocate:
updatedb: fatal error: The temp file '/var/lib/slocate/slocate.db.stf' already exists and does not appear to be a valid slocate database. Please remove before creating the database.

Is it me or are we getting a lot more questions that include the answer in the original question? Delete /var/lib/slocate/slocate.db.stf and run updatedb again.

lawrence_lee_lee · 06-28-2008, 11:09 AM

Thank you for your advice. However, I think things won't go wrong themselves, but with causes. I am worried about any unstable events are happening to my box, especially my box recently crash very frequently. This morning, some panels cannot be loaded properly. I have no method restoring them, including rebooting. This afternoon, something more strange happen, I can do everything properly, except that when I type "sudo" in the terminal, the terminal hanged immediately even before I press "Enter" button! It crash when the word "sudo" is typed and before the "Enter" is pressed!!

I then have to force quit the terminal by killing the process on another term. I want to emphasized that all other commands can be type without any problem!

stress_junkie · 06-28-2008, 01:56 PM

Sounds like your disk drive is going bad.