Re: [Exim] dbfn_ (chroot exim)

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Author: Julian King
Date:  
To: V. T. Mueller
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [Exim] dbfn_ (chroot exim)
>
>
> Hello,
>
>
> On a HP-UX 11.0 system I need to chroot() exim, not that I think it needs
> to be chrooted but because a chrooted process needs to send mail.

[snip]
> error -1 0: host lookup did not complete

[snip]

I have some experience with chroots, although not with HP-UX. I
would look at your host resolution within the chroot - I would
not be surprised if either your host resolution didn't work due to
missing files (nsswitch.conf? /etc/hosts? /etc/resolv.conf?)
or due to HP-UX doing similar magic to Solaris with things like
nscd. I would truss/trace a simple program which does a gethostbyaddr()
and see where that fails, if it does.

If it is a missing file then the answer is simple, if it is because
it cannot talk to something like nscd then the answer rarely is
trivial. You may be able to turn off nscd, or at least turn off
the dependance on it within the chroot. Or you may be able to
run a copy within the chroot, or you may be able to allow the chroot
to talk to the unchrooted copy, either by arranging for the socket
(it is uses one) or the device to be inside the chroot.

You can also try using ssmtp (as someone else suggested), which if
memory serves is no longer supported, but is in regular use on one
of my systems. However I wouldn't be surprised if it had similar
problems with lookups, so make sure you use the IP address not the
name if that is the problem.

HTH

Julian
--
Julian King
Computer Officer, University of Cambridge, Unix Support