Create directory at startup

hirnschmalz · 2022-11-03 17:45:31

I'm using SOGo in combination with fetchmail on one of my servers. fetchmail requires the directory /var/lock/fetchmail.

I can create this directory manually, but after a reboot the directory is not available. What's the preferred way to persist such a directory?

Trilby · 2022-11-03 17:52:25

Are you using your own build of fetchmail, or your own variant of the service files? Fetchmail from the repos uses /var/run/ for the pid file as a default and the packaged service file overrides this to use /run/fetchmail/ which is created (via systemd-tmpfiles). Why is your implementation trying to use /var/lock/?

Last edited by Trilby (2022-11-03 23:35:29)

seth · 2022-11-03 19:58:40

but after a reboot the directory is not available

And why is /var a tmpfs?

hirnschmalz · 2022-11-04 05:31:04

The fetchmail.pl is provided by the postfixadmin community package.

# file: /usr/share/doc/postfixadmin/ADDITIONS/fetchmail.pl

# Where to create a lockfile; please ensure path exists.
our $run_dir="/var/lock/fetchmail";

I just had a look in the /run directory and there is already a fetchmail directory but I don't know where it comes from. But if I understand you correctly the /run/fetchmail directory would be the correct place to put lockfiles into.

Trilby · 2022-11-04 13:32:11

You left out the line of that file directing you to change those values as needed. There is no objectively "correct" place to put the lockfile - the location just needs to exist. So rather than trying to create a location on every boot, just use one of the several existing and perfectly suitable locations (i.e., the ones fetchmail itself would use).

However, seth's question about why your /var seems to be a tmpfs is still relevant.

hirnschmalz · 2022-11-04 14:44:58

My /var is no tmpfs that's why I'm so confused that the directory is gone after a reboot

df -h
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
dev             2.0G     0  2.0G   0% /dev
run             2.0G  804K  2.0G   1% /run
/dev/sda1        18G   12G  4.9G  71% /
tmpfs           2.0G  232K  2.0G   1% /dev/shm
tmpfs           2.0G   28K  2.0G   1% /tmp
/dev/sdb         30G  3.2G   25G  12% /home
tmpfs           393M  4.0K  393M   1% /run/user/1000

seth · 2022-11-04 15:01:33

Is it more after a reboot or more after terminating postfixadmin ?
Do you run any nonsense like bleachbit?

You could shut down the system and boot a live distro to see whether it's actually removed during the shutdown or the system boot.

Raynman · 2022-11-04 16:02:36

/run is tmpfs and /var/lock is symlinked to /run/lock.

hirnschmalz · 2022-11-04 17:31:23

Ah ok, now I see. Thank you for the hint. This makes things clear.

ls -lha /var/lock
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Oct 18 23:01 /var/lock -> ../run/lock

Arch Linux

#1 2022-11-03 17:45:31

Create directory at startup

#2 2022-11-03 17:52:25

Re: Create directory at startup

#3 2022-11-03 19:58:40

Re: Create directory at startup

#4 2022-11-04 05:31:04

Re: Create directory at startup

#5 2022-11-04 13:32:11

Re: Create directory at startup

#6 2022-11-04 14:44:58

Re: Create directory at startup

#7 2022-11-04 15:01:33

Re: Create directory at startup

#8 2022-11-04 16:02:36

Re: Create directory at startup

#9 2022-11-04 17:31:23

Re: Create directory at startup

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