aliases.db out of date

terryc

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Mar 26, 2012, 4:45:37 AM3/26/12

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What generates the error message that the "aliases database
/etc/mail/aliases.db is out of date"

Is it simply that newalises has been run and sendmail hasn't been restarted?

Is the default behaviour in this case to stop looking up aliases?

Robert Bonomi

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Mar 26, 2012, 12:48:49 PM3/26/12

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In article <jkpabj$cnl$1...@dont-email.me>,

terryc <newsnine...@woa.com.au> wrote:
>What generates the error message that the "aliases database
>/etc/mail/aliases.db is out of date"

Sendmail itself is the -usual- culprit.

>Is it simply that newalises has been run and sendmail hasn't been restarted?

Usually it is that newaliases has *not* been run.

a sendmail restart is usually not required.

>Is the default behaviour in this case to stop looking up aliases?

no.

Message has been deleted

Bruce Esquibel

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Mar 27, 2012, 8:38:24 AM3/27/12

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Robert Bonomi <bon...@host122.r-bonomi.com> wrote:

> Usually it is that newaliases has *not* been run.

Maybe this sounds retarded but I always wondered about this.

Why is it sendmail is smart enough to figure out the aliases file changed
and that the database wasn't rebuilt and be able to complain about it, but
doesn't do it itself?

It appears 'newaliases' goes back to the early days, but being there are no
command options and that sendmail doesn't need to be restarted or anything
else done, how come it was never changed to just do it itself?

Just seems to be traditional and nothing else.

-bruce
b...@ripco.com

terryc

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Mar 27, 2012, 8:50:47 AM3/27/12

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Thank you all for the replies.

Claus Aßmann

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Mar 27, 2012, 10:05:52 AM3/27/12

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Bruce Esquibel wrote:

> Why is it sendmail is smart enough to figure out the aliases file changed
> and that the database wasn't rebuilt and be able to complain about it, but
> doesn't do it itself?

It used to do that.

But that was a Bad Idea: check the release notes for AutoRebuildAliases.

Moreover, that can result in inconsistencies (e.g., rebuilding while still
editing)

John Thompson

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Mar 27, 2012, 10:22:51 PM3/27/12

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On 2012-03-26, D. Stussy <spam+ne...@bde-arc.ampr.org> wrote:

> "terryc" <newsnine...@woa.com.au> wrote in message
> news:jkpabj$cnl$1...@dont-email.me...

>> What generates the error message that the "aliases database
>> /etc/mail/aliases.db is out of date"
>>
>> Is it simply that newalises has been run and sendmail hasn't been
> restarted?

> The opposite. It means that aliases has been updated but newaliases has
> NOT been run.

Might it be possible to use a utility analogous to "visudo" to edit
the aliases file and run "newaliases" when the editor is closed?

--

-John (jo...@os2.dhs.org)

Loki Harfagr

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Mar 28, 2012, 3:51:58 AM3/28/12

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Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:22:51 -0500, John Thompson did cat :

it also might be possible to imagine that the humanoid processor
who just closed the editor remembered what it was for that he just
edited analyzed the memories he still has about if he modified the
file and then make his conclusion and take a decision on typing a
few more keys like 'newaliases' or not (and eventually check the
output of the command ;-)
eons ago mailmasters were used to that incredible discipline...

terryc

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Mar 28, 2012, 7:24:51 AM3/28/12

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Loki Harfagr wrote:

> it also might be possible to imagine that the humanoid processor
> who just closed the editor remembered what it was for that he just
> edited analyzed the memories he still has about if he modified the
> file and then make his conclusion and take a decision on typing a
> few more keys like 'newaliases' or not (and eventually check the
> output of the command ;-)
> eons ago mailmasters were used to that incredible discipline...

Just occassionally you forget that move or something more urgent pushes
it from a tired brain. One of the perils of a home office.

Runnng newaliases is a good way to check typing faux paus as well.