Bug#436859: [pkg:exim4 / using mbox] no local delivery => on using a disitinct partiton for /var/mail access rights are set wrong!

[Gernot Pirnbacher]

Package: exim4
Version: 4.63-17
Severity: normal

error is replicable 

I am in the habit of using separate partitons for /var/spool var/mail
and /var/log. I noticed that on some of my machines no local mail got
delivered. After reinstalling my backup-tapestation and being lazy at
partiton-time I noticed that there mail worked out of the box (no extra
mounts here!)

so i finally took the time to check on the phenomenon ...

on the systems with a separate /var/mail partitons the rights and
owner/group were initially set to: 

drwxr-xr-x  4 root root     80 2007-06-22 14:52 mail

I corrected this to:

drwxrwsr-x  4 root mail     80 2007-06-22 14:52 mail

and mail works now just fine!

as addendum my mounts looks like this: (extract)

/dev/sda8 on /var type ext3 (rw)
/dev/sda3 on /var/log type ext3 (rw)
/dev/sda9 on /var/mail type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/sda6 on /var/spool type ext3 (rw)

Thats a small but annoying thing that could be easily fixed by a small
check during config! i.e. just add the lines to the config script:

chown root:mail /var/mail
chmod g=rwxs /var/mail

if /var/mail is not on an extra partition rights will only be reset,
otherwise brought to correct values ...


DI Gernot Pirnbacher

additional info:
Linux lignum-numeric 2.6.18-4-amd64 #1 SMP Fri May 4 00:37:33 UTC 2007
x86_64 GNU/Linux

libc6: Version: 2.3.6.ds1-13

/part time admin @ TU-Graz

-- 

=======================================
D I   G e r n o t   P i r n b a c h e r

Kompetenzzentrum
holz.bau.forschungs.gmbh

Inffeldgasse 24/1
8010 Graz
Austria

+43 (0)316 - 873 4610          fax 4619
         g.pirnbacher at tugraz.at
=======================================