fetchmail-users

[fetchmail-users] fetchmail at system startup

[Joe A. <jo...@j4...>]

My first foray into fetchmail.  Seem to have configured it properly, by some happenstance.  Even runs at system startup, as if I know what I was doing.  And that is certainly not certain.

However, I am given pause.  I am a bit puzzled how one can specify an alternate startup file, within the startup file (--fetchmailrc = path/file).   A circular argument kind of thing.
 
When I first started it (fetchmail, via system startup) it complained (from logs) that it could not find /etc/fetchmailrc.  Thinking that a typo, and having an "aha" moment regarding my above pondering, I copied my /root/.fetchmailrc to /etc/.  Alas, it still complained, so I renamed it, leaving off the leading ".".   

Now it seems to be quite happy reading /etc/fetchmailrc.  But I am not certain why.  Or if it is only reading that to find the "real" config file.  I hesitate to start hacking to find out, as it takes several minutes for this older Dell Poweredge to start up.  Boring.

Thanks for any assistance.

joe a.

Re: [fetchmail-users] fetchmail at system startup

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 3/25/07, Joe Acquisto <jo...@j4...> wrote:
> My first foray into fetchmail.  Seem to have configured it properly, by some happenstance.  Even runs at system startup, as if I know what I was doing.  And that is certainly not certain.
>
> However, I am given pause.  I am a bit puzzled how one can specify an alternate startup file, within the startup file (--fetchmailrc = path/file).   A circular argument kind of thing.
>
> When I first started it (fetchmail, via system startup) it complained (from logs) that it could not find /etc/fetchmailrc.  Thinking that a typo, and having an "aha" moment regarding my above pondering, I copied my /root/.fetchmailrc to /etc/.  Alas, it still complained, so I renamed it, leaving off the leading ".".
>
> Now it seems to be quite happy reading /etc/fetchmailrc.  But I am not certain why.  Or if it is only reading that to find the "real" config file.  I hesitate to start hacking to find out, as it takes several minutes for this older Dell Poweredge to start up.  Boring.

My crystal ball tells me you're probably running some form of Linux
and have some version of fetchmail installed, possibly from a binary
package...

Seriously, if you want help you need to provide information.  At the
very least you need to fill in the blanks above.

Now, if you're running Linux then you'll most likely find the startup
script as /etc/init.d/fetchmail.  If you look at that script you'll
find what your package provider has set as the defaults for that
build.

Oh, and when any program complains about the lack of a given file,
it's unlikely to be a typo :)

-- 
                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche

Re: [fetchmail-users] fetchmail at system startup

[Joe A. <jo...@j4...>]

"Rob MacGregor" <rob...@gm...> Wrote: 3/25/2007 4:19 PM:
> On 3/25/07, Joe Acquisto <jo...@j4...> wrote:
>> My first foray into fetchmail.  Seem to have configured it properly, by 
>> some happenstance.  Even runs at system startup, as if I know what I was 
>> doing.  And that is certainly not certain.
>>
>> However, I am given pause.  I am a bit puzzled how one can specify an 
>> alternate startup file, within the startup file (--fetchmailrc = 
>> path/file).   A circular argument kind of thing.
>>
>> When I first started it (fetchmail, via system startup) it complained (from 
>> logs) that it could not find /etc/fetchmailrc.  Thinking that a typo, and 
>> having an "aha" moment regarding my above pondering, I copied my 
>> /root/.fetchmailrc to /etc/.  Alas, it still complained, so I renamed it, 
>> leaving off the leading ".".
>>
>> Now it seems to be quite happy reading /etc/fetchmailrc.  But I am not 
>> certain why.  Or if it is only reading that to find the "real" config file. 
>>  I hesitate to start hacking to find out, as it takes several minutes for 
>> this older Dell Poweredge to start up.  Boring.
> 
> My crystal ball tells me you're probably running some form of Linux
> and have some version of fetchmail installed, possibly from a binary
> package...
>
> Seriously, if you want help you need to provide information.  At the
> very least you need to fill in the blanks above.

Ah.  Well.  Point taken.  This is a SUSE SLES 9 install with their provided
version of fetchmail.

> Now, if you're running Linux then you'll most likely find the startup
> script as /etc/init.d/fetchmail.  If you look at that script you'll
> find what your package provider has set as the defaults for that
> build.

The startup script does show it is looking for /etc/fetchmailrc.  But, it seems I recall clearly
that I got this running, logged in as root, only after creating .fetchmailrc in root's home.

fetchmailconfig did that, I believe.

I supposed that  during system startup the script at /etc/init.d will run (called via /etc/init.d/rc(x).d) while saying "fetchmail" while logged in, does the deed via /usr/sbin/fetchmail.  ?

One learns by doing.

joe a.
 

Re: [fetchmail-users] fetchmail at system startup

[Rob M. <rob...@gm...>]

On 3/26/07, Joe Acquisto <jo...@j4...> wrote:
>
> Ah.  Well.  Point taken.  This is a SUSE SLES 9 install with their provided
> version of fetchmail.

Which could be any version, but fortunately that isn't important.

> The startup script does show it is looking for /etc/fetchmailrc.  But, it seems I recall clearly
> that I got this running, logged in as root, only after creating .fetchmailrc in root's home.
>
> fetchmailconfig did that, I believe.

Just keep in mind that any vaguely modern version of fetchmail will
warn you about running as root and future versions will refuse to run.

> I supposed that  during system startup the script at /etc/init.d will run (called via /etc/init.d/rc(x).d) while saying "fetchmail" while logged in, does the deed via /usr/sbin/fetchmail.  ?

If I understand you correctly, yes.  I'd suggest you take a look at
the init script yourself to see what it does and how.

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                 Please keep list traffic on the list.

Rob MacGregor
      Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he
        doesn't become a monster.                  Friedrich Nietzsche