[net.sources.bugs] group ID bug in "msg" mailer

boyter@westpt.UUCP (Cpt Brian Boyter) (04/24/86)

I recently installed "msg" on an AT&T 3B2 and uncovered the following
problem...   I don't know if everyone has this problem...   when you
quit "msg" and are deleting all the files in /usr/mail/user, "msg"
deletes the /usr/mail/user's file, then creates an empty file in its
place....   this new file has a group ID the same as the user but the
group ID should be "mail" or else the mailer cannot append incoming
mail...

The solution is to modify leavembox.c:
	Change:  chown(infile, userid, getgid());
	to:      chown(infile, userid, getegid());

Then in the Makefile where msg is installed:
	Change from:  chmod 4755 ${DEST}/msg
	         to:  chmod 6755 ${DEST}/msg
	        add:  chgrp mail ${DEST}/msg

Hope this helps...
Your old buddy,
Brian Boyter
philabs!westpt!boyter

taylor@hplabsc.UUCP (Dave Taylor) (04/30/86)

> I recently installed "msg" on an AT&T 3B2 and uncovered the following
> problem...   I don't know if everyone has this problem...   when you
> quit "msg" and are deleting all the files in /usr/mail/user, "msg"
> deletes the /usr/mail/user's file, then creates an empty file in its
> place....   this new file has a group ID the same as the user but the
> group ID should be "mail" or else the mailer cannot append incoming
> mail...

Actually, I'd claim that this was a problem with the way your systm
was running mail...but, on the other hand, the new version of Msg
will support setgid along with setuid, so it'll be simple to have
this change added...

	Thanks.

	(Msg bugs, comments, kudos, whatever should be mailed to me)

					-- Dave Taylor

					..hplabs!taylor  or  taylor@hplabs