Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!decwrl!ucbvax!ICAEN.UIOWA.EDU!dbfunk
From: dbfunk@ICAEN.UIOWA.EDU (David B. Funk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: newaliases -> cannot make /usr/lib/aliases.pag: Bad file number
Message-ID: <8902092235.AA00140@icaen.uiowa.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 89 19:55:13 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Iowa Computer Aided Engineering Network, University of Iowa
Lines: 32

WRT posting <8902090246.AA08349@scrolls.wharton.upenn.edu>

> Anybody know off the top of their head how I can fix the following problem
> with BSD4.2 TCP/IP 3.1 sendmail under SR9.7.1:
> 
>  # newaliases
>  cannot make /usr/lib/aliases.pag: Bad file number

I can think of two possible causes for this problem and an easy fix for both
of them.
1) These are "UASC" type files and as such have a streams header that could be
   corrupt. On most pre-sr10 files there is a 32 byte header that is used by
   the streams file type managers to store file attributes. (try a /com/ld -si)
    This header is why an "empty" UASC file is 32 bytes in size. The header
    has a check-sum and if the file wasn't properly closed, then the check-sum
    would be wrong. To check for this, try reading the file with an Aegis tool
    such as a DM read or a /com/catf. If you get the error message "system
    (or process) crash prevented complete file close" then the streams header
    is corrupt.
2)  The file may be locked by a remote process. In general Unix programs don't
    understand a file system that has mandatory file locking and they get
    unhappy when they can't open a file that has a remote lock on it. check
    the "locked objects list" and see if the aliases.pag file is listed in it.
    Do a "/com/lllob | /com/fpat aliases" to check for a lock on the file.

The fix is simple, rename the existing aliases database files to something
else then run newaliases. EG: "/com/chn /usr/lib/alises.% =.old" Once the
new aliases file are created the old ones can safley be deleted. Note that
any sendmail daemons (sendmail -bd) will need to be killed and restarted to
"see" the new aliases database.

Dave Funk