sendmail stopped - mail.log still logging entries

[Laurel Soper]

I stopped sendmail but still am getting entries in mail.log from cron jobs (i.e. fbackup)- why?

Thanks,
Laurel

Sample entries:

Jan 7 01:26:32 kcc-uxs1 sendmail[12393]: BAA12393: from=root, size=846, class=0
, pri=30846, nrcpts=1, msgid=<200301070726.BAA12393@kcc-uxs1.kcc.local>, relay=r
oot@localhost
Jan 7 01:26:33 kcc-uxs1 sendmail[12396]: BAA12393: to=rgifford, ctladdr=root (0
/3), delay=00:00:01, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=local, stat=Sent

[Christopher Caldwell · Accepted solution]

If sendmail is not running, sendmail isn't being a server. That doesn't stop sendmail from being a client.

Kill sendmail:
# /sbin/init.d/sendmail stop

#cat .profile | mailx you@yourdomain.com

It still works, since sendmail is invoked as a client on the command line. When sendmail is invoked, it logs to mail.log.

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi,

Sendmail will be invoked in foreground mode by some of mail agents like mailx and elm. So, you would still see the entries logged by sendmail.

Try the following and look for the entries

$echo test |mailx -s "test" yourid@yourdomain.com
$echo test |mail -s "test" yourid@yourdomain.com

there will be no entry corresponding to "mail".

-Sri