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From: ado@elsie.UUCP (Arthur David Olson)
Newsgroups: net.bugs.4bsd
Subject: cd /usr/adm; if [ ! -r msgbuf ] ; then echo "messages cancerous"; fi
Message-ID: <4131@elsie.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Jan-85 13:19:12 EST
Article-I.D.: elsie.4131
Posted: Tue Jan  8 13:19:12 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 10-Jan-85 07:03:56 EST
Organization: NIH-LEC, Bethesda, MD
Lines: 29

Index:		/usr/adm/m*	[4.?bsd]

Description:	If "/etc/dmesg" is run by "cron" and the file "/usr/adm/msgbuf"
		is missing, the file "/usr/adm/messages" grows rapidly (and
		erroneously).

Repeat-by:	Removing "/usr/adm/msgbuf" and waiting a day.  (Note well: I
		advise taking my word for it rather than doing this.)

Diagnosis:	"/etc/dmesg" fails to check to see if "/usr/adm/msgbuf" exists.

Fix:		The real fix is to correct "/etc/dmesg".  Here's the universal
		fix, though--one that can be applied even if you have a binary-
		only license.

		If your "/usr/lib/crontab" file has a line like

		    0,10,20,30,40,50 * * * * /etc/dmesg - >>/usr/adm/messages

		then add a line like

		    8,18,28,38,48,58 * * * * touch /usr/adm/msgbuf

		You can schedule the "touch" command less frequently if you
		like, at the cost of some spurious output in "/usr/adm/messages"
		if "msgbuf" ever disappears.
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