Troubles starting fetchmail from init scripts

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
fails when started from rc.local.

Here is the info:
=========================== Scripts Start ===========================
        $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
        ::::::::::::::
        rc.local
        ::::::::::::::
        #!/bin/sh
        #
        # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
        # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
        # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
        
        # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few seconds
        /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
        
        touch /var/lock/subsys/local
        ::::::::::::::
        fetchmail-start
        ::::::::::::::
        #!/bin/sh
        #
        # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
        
        su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
        
=========================== Messages Start ===========================
Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
        fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied

What's happening?  How can it be fixed?

Thanks - jon

[Sergio Augusto Vladisauskis]

My startup script and configuration.
I make it.

On Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:01:19 -0400, Daniel J Walsh <dwalsh(a)redhat.com&gt;
wrote:
>  On 03/19/2010 08:53 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> > On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:39 -0700, Craig White wrote:
> >    
> >> On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:08 -0700, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> >>      
> >>> On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
> >>>        
> >>>> On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> >>>>          
> >>>>> I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
> >>>>> rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
> >>>>> fails when started from rc.local.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Here is the info:
> >>>>> =========================== Scripts Start
===========================
> >>>>>          $ more rc.local fetchmail-start
> >>>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>>          rc.local
> >>>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>>          #!/bin/sh
> >>>>>          #
> >>>>>          # This script will be executed *after* all the other init
> >>>>>          scripts.
> >>>>>          # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you
> >>>>>          don't
> >>>>>          # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>          # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a
> >>>>>          few seconds
> >>>>>          /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
> >>>>>
> >>>>>          touch /var/lock/subsys/local
> >>>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>>          fetchmail-start
> >>>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>>          #!/bin/sh
> >>>>>          #
> >>>>>          # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
> >>>>>
> >>>>>          su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
> >>>>>
> >>>>> =========================== Messages Start
> >>>>> ===========================
> >>>>> Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
> >>>>>          fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission
> >>>>>          denied
> >>>>>
> >>>>> What's happening?  How can it be fixed?
> >>>>>            
> >>>        
> >>>> The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with
ownership
> >>>> given to jonrysh:jonrysh
> >>>>          
> >>> Everything is as you recommend.  Note that the scheme works when
> >>> invoked
> >>> from a command window running a shell as root, but not from the init
> >>> script.
> >>>
> >>>        
> >>>> You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own
> >>>> crontab:
> >>>>    @reboot sleep 30&  fetchmail
> >>>>          
> >>> Thanks, I'll try this.  But I'd still like to know what's the
> reason
> >>> for
> >>> the permission failure when running out of rc.local .  SELinux 
issues?
> >>>
> >>>        
> >> ----
> >> this works for me (in rc.local)...
> >>
> >> /bin/su - craig -c '/usr/bin/fetchmail'&
> >>      
> > I tried it, and now things are worse than before.  The startup script
> > now reads:
> >          #!/bin/sh
> >          #
> >          # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
> >
> >          su - jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
> >
> > Now there's an additional error in boot.log:
> >          ...
> >          Starting atd:                                              [
> >          OK  ]
> >          Error opening display!
> >          fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
> >
> > The display did actually start OK after a short delay.  It's a mystery
> > to me.
> >
> > Thanks to all - jon
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >    
>  Check to see if there are SELinux AVC messages in 
/var/log/audit/audit.log
>  
>  # grep fetchmail /var/log/audit/audit.log
>  
>  Also instead of using su, use runuser  (Same thing except runuser does 
>  not use the pam stack.) 
-- 
Sergio Augusto Vladisauskis
-> Oportunix IT Services Brasil - ME
-> Site: http://www.oportunix.com.br
-> Fone: [phone]
-> Móvel: [phone]
-> Skype: sergiovl-work
-> Registered Linux User: 305281

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
>  You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own
>  crontab:
>  
>    @reboot sleep 5 && fetchmail 
This works fine, and looks like the "right" way to do it.  
No need to mess with the startup scripts.

Thanks again - jon

[Daniel J Walsh]

On 03/19/2010 08:53 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:39 -0700, Craig White wrote:
>     
> > On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:08 -0700, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> >      
> >> On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
> >>        
> >>> On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
> >>>          
> >>>> I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
> >>>> rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
> >>>> fails when started from rc.local.
> >>>>
> >>>> Here is the info:
> >>>> =========================== Scripts Start ===========================
> >>>>          $ more rc.local fetchmail-start
> >>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>          rc.local
> >>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>          #!/bin/sh
> >>>>          #
> >>>>          # This script will be executed *after* all the other init
> scripts.
> >>>>          # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you
> don't
> >>>>          # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
> >>>>
> >>>>          # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few
> seconds
> >>>>          /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
> >>>>
> >>>>          touch /var/lock/subsys/local
> >>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>          fetchmail-start
> >>>>          ::::::::::::::
> >>>>          #!/bin/sh
> >>>>          #
> >>>>          # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
> >>>>
> >>>>          su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
> >>>>
> >>>> =========================== Messages Start ===========================
> >>>> Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
> >>>>          fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
> >>>>
> >>>> What's happening?  How can it be fixed?
> >>>>            
> >>        
> >>> The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with ownership
> >>> given to jonrysh:jonrysh
> >>>          
> >> Everything is as you recommend.  Note that the scheme works when invoked
> >> from a command window running a shell as root, but not from the init
> >> script.
> >>
> >>        
> >>> You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own crontab:
> >>>    @reboot sleep 30&  fetchmail
> >>>          
> >> Thanks, I'll try this.  But I'd still like to know what's the reason
> for
> >> the permission failure when running out of rc.local .  SELinux issues?
> >>
> >>        
> > ----
> > this works for me (in rc.local)...
> >
> > /bin/su - craig -c '/usr/bin/fetchmail'&
> >      
>  I tried it, and now things are worse than before.  The startup script
>  now reads:
>           #!/bin/sh
>           #
>           # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
>
>           su - jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
>
>  Now there's an additional error in boot.log:
>           ...
>           Starting atd:                                              [
>           OK  ]
>           Error opening display!
>           fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
>
>  The display did actually start OK after a short delay.  It's a mystery
>  to me.
>
>  Thanks to all - jon
>
>
>
>
>      
Check to see if there are SELinux AVC messages in /var/log/audit/audit.log

# grep fetchmail /var/log/audit/audit.log

Also instead of using su, use runuser  (Same thing except runuser does 
not use the pam stack.)

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:39 -0700, Craig White wrote:
>  On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:08 -0700, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  > On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
>  > > On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  > > > I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
>  > > > rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
>  > > > fails when started from rc.local.
>  > > > 
>  > > > Here is the info:
>  > > > =========================== Scripts Start ===========================
>  > > >         $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
>  > > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > > >         rc.local
>  > > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > > >         #!/bin/sh
>  > > >         #
>  > > >         # This script will be executed *after* all the other init
> scripts.
>  > > >         # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you
> don't
>  > > >         # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
>  > > >         
>  > > >         # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few
> seconds
>  > > >         /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
>  > > >         
>  > > >         touch /var/lock/subsys/local
>  > > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > > >         fetchmail-start
>  > > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > > >         #!/bin/sh
>  > > >         #
>  > > >         # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
>  > > >         
>  > > >         su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
>  > > >         
>  > > > =========================== Messages Start ===========================
>  > > > Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
>  > > >         fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
>  > > > 
>  > > > What's happening?  How can it be fixed?
>  > 
>  > > The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with ownership
>  > > given to jonrysh:jonrysh
>  > 
>  > Everything is as you recommend.  Note that the scheme works when invoked
>  > from a command window running a shell as root, but not from the init
>  > script.
>  > 
>  > > You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own crontab:
>  > >   @reboot sleep 30 & fetchmail
>  > 
>  > Thanks, I'll try this.  But I'd still like to know what's the reason
> for
>  > the permission failure when running out of rc.local .  SELinux issues?
>  > 
>  ----
>  this works for me (in rc.local)...
>  
>  /bin/su - craig -c '/usr/bin/fetchmail' & 
I tried it, and now things are worse than before.  The startup script
now reads:
        #!/bin/sh
        #
        # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
        
        su - jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
        
Now there's an additional error in boot.log:
        ...
        Starting atd:                                              [
        OK  ]
        Error opening display!
        fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
        
The display did actually start OK after a short delay.  It's a mystery
to me.

Thanks to all - jon

[Craig White]

On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 14:08 -0700, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
>  > On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  > > I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
>  > > rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
>  > > fails when started from rc.local.
>  > > 
>  > > Here is the info:
>  > > =========================== Scripts Start ===========================
>  > >         $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
>  > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > >         rc.local
>  > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > >         #!/bin/sh
>  > >         #
>  > >         # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
>  > >         # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
>  > >         # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
>  > >         
>  > >         # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few seconds
>  > >         /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
>  > >         
>  > >         touch /var/lock/subsys/local
>  > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > >         fetchmail-start
>  > >         ::::::::::::::
>  > >         #!/bin/sh
>  > >         #
>  > >         # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
>  > >         
>  > >         su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
>  > >         
>  > > =========================== Messages Start ===========================
>  > > Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
>  > >         fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
>  > > 
>  > > What's happening?  How can it be fixed?
>  
>  > The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with ownership
>  > given to jonrysh:jonrysh
>  
>  Everything is as you recommend.  Note that the scheme works when invoked
>  from a command window running a shell as root, but not from the init
>  script.
>  
>  > You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own crontab:
>  >   @reboot sleep 30 & fetchmail
>  
>  Thanks, I'll try this.  But I'd still like to know what's the reason for
>  the permission failure when running out of rc.local .  SELinux issues?
>   
----
this works for me (in rc.local)...

/bin/su - craig -c '/usr/bin/fetchmail' &

Craig


-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.

[Jonathan Ryshpan]

On Fri, 2010-03-19 at 15:02 -0500, Steven Stern wrote:
>  On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  > I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
>  > rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
>  > fails when started from rc.local.
>  > 
>  > Here is the info:
>  > =========================== Scripts Start ===========================
>  >         $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
>  >         ::::::::::::::
>  >         rc.local
>  >         ::::::::::::::
>  >         #!/bin/sh
>  >         #
>  >         # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
>  >         # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
>  >         # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
>  >         
>  >         # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few seconds
>  >         /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
>  >         
>  >         touch /var/lock/subsys/local
>  >         ::::::::::::::
>  >         fetchmail-start
>  >         ::::::::::::::
>  >         #!/bin/sh
>  >         #
>  >         # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
>  >         
>  >         su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
>  >         
>  > =========================== Messages Start ===========================
>  > Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
>  >         fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
>  > 
>  > What's happening?  How can it be fixed? 
>  The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with
> ownership
>  given to jonrysh:jonrysh 
Everything is as you recommend.  Note that the scheme works when invoked
from a command window running a shell as root, but not from the init
script.

>  You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own
> crontab:
>    @reboot sleep 30 & fetchmail 
Thanks, I'll try this.  But I'd still like to know what's the reason for
the permission failure when running out of rc.local .  SELinux issues?

Thanks - jon

[SternData]

On 03/19/2010 02:52 PM, Jonathan Ryshpan wrote:
>  I have a little script to start fetchmail, which is activated in
>  rc.local.  It runs perfectly when started from a root login; but it
>  fails when started from rc.local.
>  
>  Here is the info:
>  =========================== Scripts Start ===========================
>          $ more rc.local fetchmail-start 
>          ::::::::::::::
>          rc.local
>          ::::::::::::::
>          #!/bin/sh
>          #
>          # This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts.
>          # You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't
>          # want to do the full Sys V style init stuff.
>          
>          # Fork a script that will start fetchmail for jonrysh in a few seconds
>          /etc/rc.d/fetchmail-start
>          
>          touch /var/lock/subsys/local
>          ::::::::::::::
>          fetchmail-start
>          ::::::::::::::
>          #!/bin/sh
>          #
>          # Start fetchmail for jonrysh
>          
>          su jonrysh -c 'sleep 5; fetchmail'
>          
>  =========================== Messages Start ===========================
>  Fetchmail emits the following error message and fails:
>          fetchmail: open: /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc: Permission denied
>  
>  What's happening?  How can it be fixed?
>  
>  Thanks - jon
>  
>   
The perms on /home/jonrysh/.fetchmailrc need to be 600, with ownership
given to johrysh:johnrysh

You could also start it without the su by adding it to your own crontab:

  @reboot sleep 30 & fetchmail

-- 
-- Steve