/var/spool/mail/root

j-me · 02-12-2003, 11:06 AM

RH6.2 ; anyone ever moved the /var/spool/mail/root and then not get anymore mail for root. I moved the root file to a hold location since it was so huge thinking it would just get recreated. now I get nothing. I tried to copy the file back but it still does not get any data logged to it.
Any ides?

I know that with RH 8.0 I do not have this problem but upgrading this server is NOT an option.

acid_kewpie · 02-12-2003, 12:45 PM

try just touching the file to create an empty but existant file.

j-me · 02-12-2003, 03:12 PM

tried that ... didn't work.
#touch /var/spool/mail/root
verified ownership & group
ran a crontab event that directs to /var/spool/mail/root (works on my RH8.0)
nothing logged to /var/spool/mail/root

acid_kewpie · 02-12-2003, 03:20 PM

i'm lost.. how can upgrading not be an option? since rh62 came out there have been vast amounts of improvements and fixes to apache, sendmail etc.... are you saying that you've not protected yourself against *any* of the well known vulnerabilties??

j-me · 02-12-2003, 03:37 PM

be lost no more!
I inherited this system from a guy who retired recently (disability). His last day (2hours in office) I got this short "informative" session (30 minutes) and very little documentation. His final words were that there is a software that they purchased several years ago and it runs on here. Do not upgrade this server things may not work. Well since this handles some important bank transaction daily, i'm heeding his advice. The software had to be "modified" to work and he is the one who modified it and he cannot remember what he did plus the company no longer exists.
(and in 12 months I won't either) (Merger) does that explain why? I did this same scenerio on RH 7.0 with the same results. when i went to RH8.0, i tested it and it worked okay.
What I've done previously was redirect to a file and then email the file to myself every am as kind of a summary report. it impressed management.
I just want to know if i am missing something.

regards!

j-me · 02-14-2003, 06:48 AM

Conclusion:
okay, so I learned something w/ RH6.2. I rebooted and it began logging to the /var/spool/mail/root. This is different from RH7.1 which will not.
Also, not sure why but cron quit working during this process.

anyway case solved ... thanks for advice.