Thanks Mark for the very useful explanation. How can I get hold of this script you mention? But as my earlier posting indicated, in this particular case there are no lock files (.username) present in /var/spool/mail. I am still at square 1. I'll do these changes after sorting out this problem.
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Use ls -al > > and check for the file under the name /var/spool/mail/.username > > Yes, it could be that the user's spool file locked while reading/writing new > mail data. Usually, mail stored in 'mbox' format will create lock files > (very bad, very slow). My suggestion is that you move your mail storage > format from 'mbox' to Maildir/. > > Maildir/ mail storage format is the same way Eudora stores its mail on a > client machine. MS Outlook, Netscape Mail, e.t.c, mimic the 'mbox' format. > With Maildir/, each mail is stored as a single file - this means mail can be > quickly accessed, and no .lock files are created when the spool file is > accessed for read/write i/o. > > If you are interested in this format, there are 3 things you'd need to do: > > o First, convert all your existing 'mbox' mail to Maildir/. This > will read your 'mbox' spool file, and break each > message up into separate files. I have a script that will do this. > The script will read all users in the > /etc/passwd file, access their /var/spool/mail/username files and > convert each mail into a single file. The script > will then create a ~user/Maildir/ directory in the user's home > directory as specified by the 'homedir' variable for > the user in the '/etc/passwd' file. > > o Now that the user's existing mail has taken on a Maildir/ storage > format, you will need to tell your MTA to deliver > mail to the user's home directory in Maildir/ format, and not > 'mbox' format. From the last time I checked, Postfix > and Exim can do this with some extra configuration. IIRC, Sendmail > could be patched to support Maildir/ dropping. > Alternatively, you can call an MDA to do the delivery e.g. > maildrop, procmail, smtp.pl, e.t.c. > > o The third thing to do now is to be able to read the mail. Unlike > 'mbox' format mail, Maildir/ files aren't just > readable in such a straightforward manner. For those who love > Pine, I believe a patch is available to read Maildir/ > files; otherwise, Mutt is the most preferred command line MUA for > reading/handling Maildir/ files. I am not sure > of the KDE-based MUA's as I haven't tried them, but you could do > your experiments. As usual, Google is your friend. > > > > > > > On Apr 24, 2004, at 10:16 AM, Lule George William wrote: > > > >> Hello all, > >> Something strange has just happened. A user has just lost all his > >> mails, over 32MB of them!!! When I check /var/spool/mail/username, I > >> find that only 12k is left. I am sure he didn't delete them because > >> he needs all of them, what do you think happened? Is there a chance > >> of retrieving any? System: SuSE Linux 7.2, kernel 2.4.4-4GB, 40GB > >> Hard disk and 512 RAM. Neomail is the MUA. > >> ********************************************************************** > >> * * > >> Lule George William (Mr) > >> Network and Systems Administrator > >> Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi > >> P.O. Box 5498 Kampala > >> Uganda > >> > >> > >> --------------------------------------------- > >> This service is hosted on the Infocom network > >> http://www.infocom.co.ug > >> > >> > > > > **************** ***************************** > > Kiggundu Mukasa # Computer Network Consultancy### > > KYM-NET LTD. # Intranets & Internet Solutions# > > Plot 80 Kanjokya Street > > P.O. Box 24284 Kampala, Uganda > > Tel: +256 77 972255 > > +256 71 221141 > > Fax: +256 31 262122 > > ***************************************************************** > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > > This service is hosted on the Infocom network > > http://www.infocom.co.ug > > Regards, > > Mark Tinka > Technical Manager, Africa Online Swaziland > > > > --------------------------------------------- > This service is hosted on the Infocom network > http://www.infocom.co.ug > > ************************************************************************ Lule George William (Mr) Network and Systems Administrator Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi P.O. Box 5498 Kampala Uganda --------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
