Re: Mail retrieval / delivery

[antti@tola.org]

On 11-09-2001 01:59 am, you wrote:

> antti@tola.org wrote:
> 
> > I recommend against setting fethcmail in daemon mode. My exprience
> > is that it can stop functioning after a while.  Instead run from
> > cron.
>
> 
> I'm trying daemon mode now, with a single system-wide fetchmail
handling
> everyone's incoming mail. So far so good, but it's only been a few
> hours. We'll see.
> 
> Now, if I want my system-wide fetchmail to run in a non-root account,
> what do I have to do? I assume I should create a user named
'fetchmail'
> that is a member of the mail group (is that necessary?), and has
> /bin/false for its shell since no one will ever login to it. Then I
> suppose /etc/fetchmailrc and /etc/defaults/fetchmail would have to be
> owned by the fetchmail account so it can read them? Are there any
other
> requirements?
> 
> Craig

If you're just wanting to user fetchmail as non-root or
fetchmail to non-root user using non-root
uid it is trivial;  just configure
fetchmail with user(s) you want to use.
And run fetchmail  using that user id too.
Configuration file will be created to that
users home directory. Any user created
by adduser command should work with
fetchmail.
I of course don't know how tight your
system is, but as a defaul,t fetchmail
should be usable by *anyone*. Of course
you can limit rights  or change this by using
chmod, chgrp and chown commands
to /usr/bin/fetchmail


I'm not sure is there big use disabling
login with the user, but that's your call
if you think it is necessary.   I haven't
done it because I sometimes may want to log
remotely to change fetchmail settings; I just don't
happen believe ability to log  invidual accounts 
makes me more vulnerable.  If there is one such
account ,  I think there can be few more  without
they would make a real diffrence.  Anyway unless
you plan to use server as a root only from the server
directly, I think you need atleast one such user who 
can log in. 

Then if you want to deliver
mail to other accounts or even
other email address, just create
to that users home directory a
 .forward file that states to
which email addresses, separated
by comma,  all mail will be delivered.

 
Works for me.


Antti