Topic: qmail access denied problem

[tariqf]

I wonder if someone can help. I started getting these errors in my qmail log:

@400000004635c08502637d04 delivery 481: deferral: Unable_to_switch_to_/home/e-smith/files/users/office:_access_denied._(#4.3.0)/
@400000004635c0850263985c status: local 0/10 remote 0/20
@400000004635c0c307bccbfc starting delivery 482: msg 35688045 to local sc220988@wild-auth.wildernesse.kent.sch.uk
@400000004635c0c307bce754 status: local 1/10 remote 0/20
@400000004635c0c30e03c6b4 delivery 482: deferral: Unable_to_switch_to_/home/e-smith/files/users/sc220988:_access_denied._(#4.3.0)/
@400000004635c0c30e03e20c status: local 0/10 remote 0/20
@400000004635c14b0c272afc starting delivery 483: msg 35687851 to local office@wild-auth.wildernesse.kent.sch.uk
@400000004635c14b0c274654 status: local 1/10 remote 0/20
@400000004635c14b0e66d614 delivery 483: deferral: Unable_to_switch_to_/home/e-smith/files/users/office:_access_denied._(#4.3.0)/

[tariqf]

sorry this was my own stupid fault I changed permsissions to .* on a user which went back to .. and ended up changing permissions for loads of my users before I realised and cancelled it.

I have written a quick perl script to go through and correct the permissions which is run from /home/e-smith/files/users. Hope this fixes it!

opendir DIRH, "." or die "couldn't open: $!";
foreach (sort readdir DIRH) {
print "updating permissions for /home/e-smith/files/users/$_/home ...\n";
`chmod 755 /home/e-smith/files/users/$_/home`;
`chown $_:$_ /home/e-smith/files/users/$_/home -R`;
}

[shawnbishop]

I recently had the same problem after an update to 7.5.1

I changed all the permissions on the .qmail file in the /home/e-smith/files/users/john.hankok/.qmail to 777 , and it stared to work.

I will address the permissions on all users once the system is running

[byte]

I recently had the same problem after an update to 7.5.1

Did you report your problem to the bug tracker ?

I changed all the permissions on the .qmail file in the /home/e-smith/files/users/john.hankok/.qmail to 777 , and it stared to work.

To anyone who reads this thread, changing permissions to 777 is a huge security risk, so if you value your data never ever set permissions to 777

I will address the permissions on all users once the system is running

The correct permission for the .qmail file would be 644, but before doing that you should report your issue to the bug tracker as once anyone starts diagnosing the issue themselves we lose possible vital information.  And yes there will be many saying they needed the server up and running ASAP

[shawnbishop]

Thanks for the advice "bytes"

I know 777 is a risk, but to get going as it is production server, that was the priority..once everyone was accessing their mail, I have managed to change all the files to the correct permissions

[janet]

shawnbishop

I think the point being made was why change the permissions to unsafe (& unnecessary) settings in the first place ?
Why not just change them to a correct and safe setting ?

I know 777 is a risk, but to get going as it is production server, that was the priority..once everyone was accessing their mail, I have managed to change all the files to the correct permissions

[CharlieBrady]

I recently had the same problem after an update to 7.5.1

I changed all the permissions on the .qmail file in the /home/e-smith/files/users/john.hankok/.qmail to 777 , and it stared to work.

shawnbishop, your problem was different to tariqf's, and, as others have pointed out, your "solution" was dangerously inappropriate.

If you have a problem caused by an update and didn't report via the bug tracker, you were helping neither yourself nor others.