Re: [Exim] 2nd try: local_delivery without home directory

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Author: Philip Hazel
Date:  
To: Frank Elsner
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] 2nd try: local_delivery without home directory
On Thu, 6 Jan 2000, Frank Elsner wrote:

>
> I've already ask this on Thu, 23 Dec 1999 14:07:59 +0100, maybe it got lost
>                                                    under the the Xmas tree :-)

>
> I've the entry
>
>                   local_delivery:
>                     driver = appendfile
>                     file = /var/mail/${local_part}
>                     group = mail
>                     mode = 0660

>
> in the "directors section" of my configuration and exim refuses to deliver
> due to "failed to chdir to /home/user0815".
>
> Why is the home directory needed for local deliveries and how to overcome
> the problem and force delivery ?


It isn't that the home directory is needed. What *is* needed is some
directory to "chdir" to before running a local delivery under a non-root
uid (probably doesn't matter for appendfile much, but does matter for
pipes). Some operating systems get unhappy if a process is running with
a current directory that its uid cannot actually access.

If you are using a normal "localuser" director to get to your transport,
the default is to use the home directory. However, you can change this
by setting current_directory on the transport. For example,

current_directory = /

I think if I were starting again I would make this the default, but it
is too late now.


-- 
Philip Hazel            University of Cambridge Computing Service,
ph10@???      Cambridge, England. Phone: +44 1223 334714.