The original question:
I've got a system running Digital Unix 4.0D that I installed sendmail 8.9 on
some time ago. Everything is working fine, but I did have to remove the group
write permissions on /var so that sendmail doesn't get upset about files that
are located in /var/adm/sendmail. The problem I have is that every time the
system is rebooted, /var changes back to its original permissions setting. I
have grepped the startup files in vain looking for where this happens, but I
haven't been able to find it. Does anyone know what script does this at boot
time so I can disable it? Thanks.
The answers:
It appears that the CDE dtlogin process, which is called from
/sbin/rc3.d/S95xlogin, is responsible for this. I did not find out why it
does this, but apparently there is a bug report in for this and it may be
changed in the next release. The workaround I used is to patch the S95xlogin
script. Here's a context diff:
*** S95xlogin.bak Tue Nov 3 14:14:55 1998
--- S95xlogin Tue Nov 3 14:15:59 1998
***************
*** 31,36 ****
--- 31,37 ----
$X_DISPLAY_MANAGER -daemon $CONFIG_OPTION
sleep 1
+ chmod 755 /var
#
# If X is started from a console login, kill the console login, but only if
# there is a local graphics display and the graphics console (not serial
The other alternative is to reconfigure sendmail so that it doesn't complain
about group-writable directories. This may have some security implications
depending on your site. Anyway, adding the following line to your M4 file (if
you're still hacking the .cf, get out of the stone age!) should do the trick:
define(`confDONT_BLAME_SENDMAIL',`GroupWritableDirPathSafe')
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question, you were very helpful.
--
Steve Snodgrass * ssnodgra_at_fore.com * Crazed FORE Systems Unix Administrator
Quake/IRC ID: Pheran --- Geek Code: GCS/E s: a- C++ U++++$ L+ w PS+ b++ y+*
** Visit Pheran's DVD Review Index at http://trfn.clpgh.org/~ssnodgra/dvd/ **
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." --Semisonic
Received on Thu Nov 05 1998 - 14:52:36 NZDT