/etc/aliases.db not created at install time leading to fatal errors in mail.log

[Jamie Wilkinson]

Postfix leaves lots of:

fatal: open database /etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory

in the logs until newaliases is run, and local mail delivery fails until this is
done also.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

*** Bug 8097 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

[LaMont Jones (lamont)]

Fixed in 2.1.3-1ubuntu16.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

After a fresh install from Sounder #9:

mdz@potpal:~ $ tail /var/log/syslog
Sep 29 10:09:24 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: /usr/lib/postfix/local:
bad command startup -- throttling
Sep 29 03:10:24 localhost postfix/local[14006]: fatal: open database
/etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory
Sep 29 10:10:25 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: process
/usr/lib/postfix/local pid 14006 exit status 1
Sep 29 10:10:25 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: /usr/lib/postfix/local:
bad command startup -- throttling
Sep 29 03:11:25 localhost postfix/local[14007]: fatal: open database
/etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory
Sep 29 10:11:26 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: process
/usr/lib/postfix/local pid 14007 exit status 1
Sep 29 10:11:26 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: /usr/lib/postfix/local:
bad command startup -- throttling
Sep 29 03:12:26 localhost postfix/local[14008]: fatal: open database
/etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory
Sep 29 10:12:27 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: process
/usr/lib/postfix/local pid 14008 exit status 1
Sep 29 10:12:27 localhost postfix/master[3624]: warning: /usr/lib/postfix/local:
bad command startup -- throttling

[LaMont Jones (lamont)]

Fixed in base-config_2.44ubuntu25

[bluegeek (bluegeek)]

I have postfix 2.1.3-ubuntu-17 and base-config 2.44ubuntu26 (RC installed fron
scratch) and I still have these warnings in syslog

Oct 15 18:23:21 ubuntu-pandora postfix/local[4381]: fatal: open database
/etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory
Oct 15 18:23:22 ubuntu-pandora postfix/master[3782]: warning: process
/usr/lib/postfix/local pid 4381 exit status 1
Oct 15 18:23:22 ubuntu-pandora postfix/master[3782]: warning:
/usr/lib/postfix/local: bad command startup -- throttling

[LaMont Jones (lamont)]

Really fixed in 2.44ubuntu27. Sigh.

[bluegeek (bluegeek)]

Sorry but it seems that postfix is looking for /etc/aliases.db and not /etc/aliases
So I still have this in my logs:

Oct 17 17:09:19 ubuntu-pandora postfix/local[6545]: fatal: open database
/etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory

And my local mail is not delivered...

blueboy@ubuntu-pandora:~ $ mailq
-Queue ID- --Size-- ----Arrival Time---- -Sender/Recipient-------
2EF79102D11* 1181 Thu Oct 14 21:44:42 root@ubuntu-pandora
                                         root@ubuntu-pandora

2C345102929* 311 Sun Oct 17 17:06:50 blueboy@ubuntu-pandora
                                         blueboy@ubuntu-pandora

4DD4F102D13* 965 Thu Oct 14 21:44:42 root@ubuntu-pandora
                                         root@ubuntu-pandora

-- 2 Kbytes in 3 Requests.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

LaMont, what's the latest on this bug? Does it need to be reopened?

[LaMont Jones (lamont)]

(In reply to comment #7)
> Oct 17 17:09:19 ubuntu-pandora postfix/local[6545]: fatal: open database
> /etc/aliases.db: No such file or directory

Was this system installed using base-config_2.44ubuntu27 or later? (That's
after the warty RC iso.)?

Installing with the correct base-config, or upgrading postfix, or running
newaliases, should fix your problem.

[bluegeek (bluegeek)]

The system was installed using the Warty RC.
'sudo newaliases' solved the problem (last time, I solved it with
'dpkg-reconfigure postfix').
I'll try a fresh install after the release of Warty. Thanks.