Re: [exim] problem in system_aliases router

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Author: Toralf Lund
Date:  
To: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] problem in system_aliases router
Philip Hazel wrote:

>On Wed, 26 Jan 2005, Toralf Lund wrote:
>
>
>
>>OK, it turns out that if I change the above setup to something like:
>>
>> all-users: :include:/usr/local/etc/mail.all
>> all: all-users, toralf
>>
>>"all" does work, although "all-users" doesn't (when used directly as receiver
>>address.) With
>>
>> all-users: :include:/usr/local/etc/mail.all
>> all: all-users
>>
>>or
>>
>> all: :include:/usr/local/etc/mail.all, toralf
>>
>>it does not, i.e. I have to reference the address list file indirectly *and*
>>include at least one other address in the alias expansion.
>>
>>
>
>OK, that explains it. The answer is that the "exim" user cannot read the
>file when it is verifying an address. When you have more than one
>address for the alias, verification stops on the grounds that this is a
>valid "mailing list". When you have only one address, verification
>carries on to check that alias address. That's why having two users
>works.
>
>

Ah. I see. Well nearly; I checked if the file was readable, of course,
in fact I made sure it was publicly accessible, i.e. it has

 ls -l /usr/local/etc/mail.all
-rw-rw-r--    1 root     sys           235 Jan 26 11:00 
/usr/local/etc/mail.all


However, I now suddenly realised that I have

# su - exim
UX:su: ERROR: No shell

- maybe this is the real problem? Is denying normal login for "exim" in
this manner generally a bad idea? (I should perhaps point out here that
I've upgraded from a version that was built by someone else, and
apparently configured to run as root rather than exim.)

>
>
>>system_aliases:
>> driver = redirect
>> allow_defer
>> allow_fail
>> data = ${lookup{$local_part}lsearch{/etc/aliases}}
>> file_transport = address_file
>> group = mail
>> pipe_transport = address_pipe
>> retry_use_local_part
>> user = guest
>>
>>Can anyone explain this?
>>
>>
>
>The "user = guest" setting is no good when Exim is verifying, because at
>that time it is running as "exim".
>
>

OK.

The user setup is actually there mainly with pipes in mind, i.e.
addresses that are aliased to "|<some command>"

- Toralf