Troubles starting fetchmail from init scripts

[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