Re: environment variables that updatedb uses

[ktb <x.y.f@home.com>]

On Wed, Jan 17, 2001 at 09:52:53PM -0500, RAccess wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Jan 2001, ktb wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, Jan 17, 2001 at 09:30:18PM -0500, RAccess wrote:
> > > On Wed, 17 Jan 2001, ktb wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Wed, Jan 17, 2001 at 07:50:20PM -0500, RAccess wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi. I would like to know how to use the env variables such as PRUNEFS and
> > > > > PRUNEPATHS. They are supposed to be exported from /etc/updatedb.conf but
> > > > > they never do. updatedb runs without them. All I have changed so far is
> > > > > contents of these variables.
> > > > >
> > > > > I am running testing/woody. Thanks folks.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > I got curious and started messing around with this.  I'm running potato.
> > > > Didn't work for me either.  If you want the variables available to you
> > > > all the time you can put the following in your /root/.bashrc -
> > > >
> > > > if [ -f /etc/updatedb.conf ]
> > > >     then
> > > >     . /etc/updatedb.conf
> > > > fi
> > > >
> > > > If you want to export these variables occasionally at the command line -
> > > > # . /etc/updatedb.conf
> > > >
> > >
> > > I do not always log in as root. The /root/.bashrc is hardly ever used. The
> > > cron job on the system takes care of the updatedb. So I am thinking that
> > > there should be some way for the script for the cronjob to see and use
> > > these variables. I am not sure how to go about this, because I never
> > > played with cronjob scripts before. I am not even sure if this would be a
> > > good idea.
> > >
> > > I find it strange that debian by default doesn't have these options
> > > enabled and in working order. This is not Redhat people! :)
> > >
> >
> > The reason I said put it in /root was because if you don't run
> > "updatedb" as root you get -
> >
> > $ updatedb
> > /usr/bin/updatedb: /var/lib/locate/locatedb.n: Permission denied
> > find: /root/.gnome: Permission denied
> > find: /root/.gnome_private: Permission denied
> > find: /root/mail: Permission denied
> > find: /root/Mail: Permission denied
> > <snip>
> > updatedb: new database would be empty
> >
> > If you feel strongly about it then check and see if a bug report has
> > been filed, if not, file one.
> 
> That is hardly a solution. I never run anything as root. As I mentioned
> earlier, updatedb is run as a cronjob. It runs with out any permission
> errors (or any other sort of errors). There must be a system user who has
> enough rights to do so.
> 
> I like the bug report idea, but I would like to get input here before I do
> anything like that.
> 

Stick -
PRUNEPATHS="  /tmp /usr/tmp /var/tmp /afs /amd /alex /var/spool"

or whatever you want pruned in -
/etc/crontab

kent

-- 
I'd really love ta wana help ya Flanders but... Homer Simpson