[NCLUG] Apparent size limitation on /var/spool/mail

[dann frazier]

On Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 04:05:00PM -0600, DJ Eshelman wrote:
> Hey everyone - crazy times!
> 
> I have an issue that is just killing me and causing too many late night
> calls...
> 
> apparently, when the /var/spool/mail/<uid> file gets about 50MB, mail flow
> stops completely for that user, but is fine for everyone else.  Depending on
> their .procmailrc configuration, the system will generate messages back to
> the person who sends them mail that looks like this:
> 
> "This is the Postfix program at host myserver.com.
> >
> > I'm sorry to have to inform you that your message could not be delivered
> > to one or more recipients. It's attached below.
> >
> > For further assistance, please send mail to <postmaster>
> >
> > If you do so, please include this problem report. You can delete your own
> > text from the attached returned message.
> >
> >                   The Postfix program
> >
> > <user.group at myserver.com<jillene.kai-terra at misterx.techsmartsolutions.com>>
> > (expanded from
> >
> >     <email at domain.com>): can't create user output file. Command output:
> >
> >     procmail: Error while writing to "clamdscan" procmail: Error while
> > writing
> >
> >     to "/var/mail/user.group" "
> >
> 
> 
> Apparently a lot of people (against my advice) are using POP3 clients with
> the 'leave mail on server' option checked.  (before you say "easy, just
> don't do that"; it's my boss that wants this limit so that they can go in to
> webmail to check their latest stuff).  Well, with the constant problem of
> people sending large attachments thru email (the battle is lost on this one,
> I'm afraid), 50MB is sometimes about a day's worth of mail for some users.
> While I'm encouraging the use of IMAP instead (which would still take up
> storage space on the server, but at least the files could be easily moved
> out of the /var/spool/mail file into their home directories.)  Since he's
> not going for that option, I'm kind of in a panic.
> 
> So, the question is: what can I do?  There's no quotas set that I can see,
> and frankly I don't even know where to start searching Google...  after an
> hour or so I just had to give up because I just wasn't getting any good
> results.
> 
> Even if you could give me a good idea on keywords to search on, that would
> help.  Just typing in /var/spool/mail 50MB or size limit is still like
> looking for a needle in a haystack.

check mailbox_size_limit in /etc/postfix/main.cf. Try upping it, or
settin git to 0 for unlimited.


-- 
dann frazier