system mail

[Tim]

On Tue, 2007-07-10 at 20:20 -0400, Michael Klinosky wrote:
> When I installed FC6, I recall it asking "Do you want to receive system
> mail?" I answered 'yes'. But, I never saw any messages from the system
> (figuring that there'd be pop-ups).
> 
> So, I figure that I'm missing important system info. How do I access it?
> Also, I hope that there's a gui, or that it can work with the gui (for
> me, it's gnome).

I don't recall being asked that question, either.  But the usual thing
is to have it sent to your personal mail account (read the /etc/aliases
file, put your address at the bottom with the root alias, run the
newaliases command as the file tells you to).

You will, now, find the system mail in your inbox, which you can read
with any mail client.  Previously sent system mail will still be in the
root mail box.  You can read that in various ways, as root you could do
any of the following:

Read the spool file directly in a text reader:
# less /var/mail/root

Use the mail program as root:
# mail

Copy the root mail over to your mail spool, then remove the original:
# cat /var/mail/root >> /var/mail/tim
# rm /var/mail/root
("tim" being *my* spool file, then get your mail as yourself).

> Does this have anything to do with the system log (which I'm familiar
> with)? I'm sure that I'm not taking advantage of its features. 

Yes, and other logs.  You get a basic *summary* of things that have
happened recently.

-- 
[tim at bigblack ~]$ rm -rfd /*^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Huname -ipr
2.6.21-1.3228.fc7 i686 i386

Using FC 4, 5, 6 & 7, plus CentOS 5.  Today, it's FC7.

Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
I read messages from the public lists.