[net.bugs.4bsd] Responses to Sndmail: Cannot open /dev/console

pml@usl.UUCP (Patrick Landry) (10/31/84)

A couple of weeks ago I posted the following message:

>... Every time sendmail is invoked
>on my system the message "Cannot open /dev/console: Bad file number"
>is printed on the users terminal.

I would like again to thank everyone who responded.
Following is a list of the responses/suggestions I received:

01 Recompile .../sendmail/lib/syslog.c with the -DEBUG option

02 Recompile .../sendmail/lib/syslog.c without the -DEBUG option

03 Include the INTERNET code in the kernel
     (options INET in the config file)

04 Make sure there is a 'localhost' entry in /etc/hosts with address 127.1

05 Change the LOG_HOST definition in .../sendmail/include/syslog.h to your
   sitename

06 Check for a mangled /dev/console file

07 Check the following files for correctness /etc/[hosts,protocols,services]

08 Check for modifications to the original description of the loopback
   facility in /etc/network & /etc/hosts

My problem was #8. I had REPLACED 'localhost' by my hostname rather than
leaving localhost as an alias. The other most frequent response was #3.
I found out that #5 would have also done the trick for me since LOG_HOST
is defined as 'localhost' in the distribution.

Hopefully this has helped others. I did get quite of 'me too' responses.
---pat---

ut-sally!usl!pml   UUCP
LandryPM%usl@csnet-relay.ARPA     Phonenet