Re: ERR SYS/PERM Unable to process From lines

Hi Keith,

It sounds very much like what happens when two processes are trying 
to write the file at the same time, which may result from a failure 
in the locking protocol (e.g., the processes don't agree on the 
locking mechanism).

- Are you running in server mode?

- Do you have other processes that might access the spool (e.g., an 
IMAP server, users accessing the spool directly, etc.)?

- Do you have fast IO or locking options set?

- Did you install your own local delivery agent?

- If you are using server mode, you might try disabling it, more as a 
diagnostic than a fix, to see if that stops the problem.

At 9:47 AM -0600 10/19/12, Keith Christian wrote:

>  On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 5:03 PM, Randall Gellens 
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>  Hi Keith,
>>
>>  My guess is that something is stomping on the spool.  Does this seem to
>   > happen to a set of users in particular?  Are you running in 
> server mode?  Do
>>  you have other processes that might access the spool (e.g., an IMAP server,
>>  users accessing the spool directly, etc.)?  Do you have fast IO or locking
>>  options set?  Are you using an unusual local delivery agent?
>>
>>  You might try disabling server mode, more as a diagnostic than a fix, to see
>   > if that stops it.
>
>
>  Hi Randy,
>
>  Thanks for your quick reply.
>
>  Qpopper is running under Xinetd.  I can't identify any common set of
>  users whose mailboxes have this problem.  Further, the pattern of the
>  stray data that corrupts the mail file is not consistent.  Every email
>  in the .mail file is a MIME encoded attachment if that helps.
>
>  A few examples of the corruption reported by Qpopper when a user tries
>  to log in:
>
>  1. Between messages, the end of base64 data usually has a
>  "---bOuNdArY---" line, a blank line, then the "From " line beginning a
>  new message.  Usually there is some garbage, e.g. a few stray X-UIDL:
>  lines between "---bOuNdArY---" and the "From " line, confusing Qpopper
>  so that it can't find the "From " line.
>
>  2. Other times, it appears the block of base64 data isn't completely
>  written, e.g. some of the final lines of base64 aren't written, nor is
>  the "---bOuNdArY---" line written, either.  This seemingly incomplete
>  base64 block is then followed immediately by the "From " line, no
>  blank line appears.
>
>  3.  Or, the header, usually 30 lines, starting with "From " and on
>  line 30 the first line of base64 data appears, is truncated, with the
>  introductory lines above the base64 data missing.  You obviously know
>  this: Those introductory lines in a normal message usually are:
>
>  	Content-Type: audio/mp4;
>  	  name="stuff_stuff_stuff.mp4"
>  	Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="stuff_stuff_stuff.mp4"
>  	Content-Transfer-Encoding: Base64
>
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	Many-LINES-of-76-character-base64-data-ARE-here
>  	---------------------bOuNdArY-------------------
>
>
>  Hope this explanation helps.
>
>
>  Keith


-- 
Randall Gellens
Opinions are personal;    facts are suspect;    I speak for myself only
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Language is a virus from outer space.  --William S. Burroughs