Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!genrad!mit-eddi!mit-vax!eagle!harpo!seismo!presby!burdvax!puder From: puder@burdvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: watch out when you modify /etc/ttys !! Message-ID: <809@burdvax.UUCP> Date: Fri, 10-Jun-83 12:05:31 EDT Article-I.D.: burdvax.809 Posted: Fri Jun 10 12:05:31 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jun-83 11:28:03 EDT Lines: 19 On our 4.1bsd system, we have discovered an interesting phenomenon. Summary: If lines are inserted or deleted from /etc/ttys, mail will be sent with the wrong From username. Details: If a line is added to /etc/ttys before the line describing ttyh1, (signalling init makes no difference to the mail problem) a user on ttyh1 who sends mail will have the name of the user on ttyh2 on the From line. I presume that deleting a line would cause the reverse problem. What seems to be happening is that mail is looking up the terminal name in /etc/ttys, and then indexing into /etc/utmp to find the user name. Am I right? Why is it done this way? Why is this not documented ?!? (And anyway, why doesn't init rebuild /etc/utmp when it gets the HUP signal?) Karl Puder burdvax!puder SDC-aBC, R & D Paoli, Pa. (215)648-7555