Troubles starting fetchmail from init scripts

[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


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