topic Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ??? in Operating System - HP-UX

root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Bob_16 — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 19:27:27 GMT

We've had a .forward file for root on a 11.00 server for quite some time, and root mail forwarding has been working. Until last Thursday. I haven't gotten an email since.

Does anyone know what i could do to fix this? Mail is getting to root's inbox ok, i can still read root's mail. But it isn't getting forwarded. The .forward file hasn't been modified recently.

thanks.

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

John Dvorchak — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 19:33:07 GMT

Have the permissions on your .forward file changed? They should be:

root> ll .forward
-r-------- 1 root sys 15 Mar 10 2003 .forward

Check not only perms but also owner and group. If that is ok, then try bouncing sendmail and look for errors in /var/adm/syslog/mail.log.

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Sridhar Bhaskarla — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 19:36:43 GMT

Hi,

Along with the suggestion above, look at /var/adm/syslog/mail.log for more information. If there are any syntax errors or permissions issues, they will be logged in there.

-Sri

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Steven E. Protter — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 19:55:53 GMT

do a diagnostic email

sendmail -v -d8.99 -d38.99 root
steve was here

.

You will see it forward or you will see the error right on your screen.

or tail -f the mail.log file and shoot an email to the user.

SEP

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Bob_16 — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:20:16 GMT

The mail.log shows something like this:

Sep 16 23:14:28 ukx1 sendmail[19108]: XAA19108: forward /.forward.ukx1: World writable directory
Sep 16 23:14:28 ukx1 sendmail[19108]: XAA19108: forward /.forward: World writable directory

The sendmail test/debug shows this:

sendmail -v -d8.99 -d38.99 root
seq_map_parse(aliases.files, )
WARNING: World writable directory /var
map_init(sequence:aliases.files, NULL, 0)
sequence:aliases.files NULL: valid
map_init(implicit:Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 0)
wrong pass (pass = 0, rebuildable = 1)
map_init(host:host, NULL, 0)
host:host NULL: valid
map_init(switch:aliases, aliases, 0)
switch_map_open(aliases, aliases, 0)
switch_map_find => 1
files
map_stack[0] = sequence:aliases.files
switch:aliases aliases: valid
map_init(dequote:dequote, NULL, 0)
dequote:dequote NULL: valid
map_init(sequence:aliases.files, NULL, 1)
wrong pass (pass = 1, rebuildable = 0)
map_init(implicit:Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 1)
impl_map_open(Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 0)
hash_map_open(Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 0)
impl_map_lookup(Alias0, @)
db_map_lookup(Alias0, @)
implicit:Alias0 /etc/mail/aliases: valid
map_init(host:host, NULL, 1)
wrong pass (pass = 1, rebuildable = 0)
map_init(switch:aliases, aliases, 1)
wrong pass (pass = 1, rebuildable = 0)
map_init(dequote:dequote, NULL, 1)
wrong pass (pass = 1, rebuildable = 0)
seq_map_lookup(aliases, root)
seq_map_lookup(aliases.files, root)
impl_map_lookup(Alias0, root)
db_map_lookup(Alias0, root)
root... forward: /.forward.ukx1: World writable directory
root... forward: /.forward: World writable directory

another test from root on ukx1
.
root... Connecting to local...
root... Sent
closemaps: closing aliases.files (NULL)
closemaps: closing Alias0 (/etc/mail/aliases)
impl_map_close(Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 12a3)
db_map_close(Alias0, /etc/mail/aliases, 12a3)
closemaps: closing host (NULL)
closemaps: closing aliases (aliases)
closemaps: closing dequote (NULL)

The permissions for .forward are 744 root sys

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Sridhar Bhaskarla — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 21:34:33 GMT

Hi,

Check the permissions on the root's home directory. / or /root whatever is defined as your root's home.

-Sri

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

John Dvorchak — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 04:16:57 GMT

It certainly looks like a permission problem. If you patched or updated sendmail recently it pays more attention to the permissions on certain files and directories. The parent directory of the .forward file must NOT be world writable so it should look like this at the least:
drwxr-xr-x 13 root sys 2048 Sep 17 00:07 root

and the perms on the .forward file should be 400 as I indicated earlier. While you are at it check the /etc/mail directory:
root> ll -d /etc/mail
drwxr-xr-x 2 root bin 8192 Jul 15 09:27 /etc/mail

The /etc/mail directory has to have no write access for "other".

Good luck,
John

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Sundar_7 — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 04:56:47 GMT

Hi,

Post the contents of your .forward file. Are U forwarding the mail to your offical mail ID or something ?

It happens sometime that the problem is with server which is supposed to deliver the forwarded mail to your inbox.

I would check on this end as well.

Sundar.

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Sundar_7 — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 04:56:59 GMT

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Kasper Haitsma — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 07:07:59 GMT

Hi Bobby,

It does not hurt, to check the mail queue either (mailq(1)).
If you send a mail directly to the address that is in the .forward, does that arrive?

HTH

Kasper

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Berlene Herren — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 10:09:51 GMT

I have attached the permissions that sendmail is looking for. According to your debug, pay attention to /var

sendmail -v -d8.99 -d38.99 root
seq_map_parse(aliases.files, )
WARNING: World writable directory /var

If permissions must be those other than sendmail is happy about, take a look at the DontBlameSendmail option, in the /etc/mail/sendmail.cf.

Berlene

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

RolandH — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 10:23:12 GMT

If you want check that only you .forward file is corrupted. You can use a other option to forward messages from root.

1)
# vi /etc/mail/aliases
## Add line
root: myaccount@domain.com

2) /usr/sbin/newaliases

3) move the .forward file to .OLD.forward
and send a test mail to root

If this works your .forward file seems to be not working.

Roland

Re: root mail forwarding stopped working ???

Bob_16 — Wed, 17 Sep 2003 17:32:01 GMT

thanks to all who replied woulderfull debugging skills.

Yes, it was a permissions problem with /, it was wide open. I've fixed it and the permissions for .forward and forwarding is working perfectly again.

Mail directory permissions were fine, thanks for the attachment.

A co-working in the foreign office changed this.