Problems with Cron not deleting log files

[Richard Mcintyre]

All,

I am having a problem. Back in December I installed FreeBSD5.3 onto a 
server and have just recently found some new time to 'play' with the 
settings etc.

I think I know what happened but I'm not sure how to fix it.

I currently have a 'large number' of auth.log.xxxxx and cron.xxxxxx 
files under /var/log.

When I first installed I remember reading some advice on 'securing' 
FreeBSD a little and ran the following commands:
# echo "root" > /var/cron/allow && echo "root" > /var/at/at.allow

# chmod o= /etc/crontab && chmod o= /usr/bin/crontab && chmod o= 
/usr/bin/at && chmod o= /usr/bin/atq && chmod o= /usr/bin/atrm && chmod 
o= /usr/bin/batch && chmod o= /etc/fstab && chmod o= /etc/ftpusers && 
chmod o= /etc/group && chmod o= /etc/hosts && chmod o= /etc/hosts.allow 
&& chmod o= /etc/hosts.equiv && chmod o= /etc/hosts.lpd  && chmod o= 
/etc/inetd.conf && chmod o= /etc/login.access && chmod o= 
/etc/login.conf && chmod o= /etc/newsyslog.conf && chmod o= /etc/rc.conf 
&& chmod o= /etc/ssh/sshd_config && chmod o= /etc/sysctl.conf && chmod 
o= /etc/syslog.conf && chmod o= /etc/ttys && chmod o= /var/log && 
chflags sappnd /var/log && chflags sappnd /var/log/* && chmod o= 
/usr/bin/users && chmod o= /usr/bin/w && chmod o= /usr/bin/who && chmod 
o= /usr/bin/lastcomm && chmod o= /usr/sbin/jls && chmod o= /usr/bin/last 
&& chmod o= /usr/sbin/lastlogin && chmod ugo= /usr/bin/rlogin && chmod 
ugo= /usr/bin/rsh

I believe that for some reason the Cron daemon was unable to copy the 
files properly when it was trying to turn them over. Now when I try to 
remove the files I get an error. Below is a small sample...

Thanks in advance for your help.
~REM

# rm cron.zzuL4BB
rm: cron.zzuL4BB: Operation not permitted

FreeBSD tco1.iaminsane.net 5.3-RELEASE FreeBSD 5.3-RELEASE #0: Fri Nov  
5 04:19:18 UTC 2004     
root at harlow.cse.buffalo.edu:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386

-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         75 Jan 12 02:00 auth.log.zzcek12
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Feb 17 23:00 auth.log.zzhTnRK
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Feb 13 02:00 auth.log.zziSwsY
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Feb 19 01:00 auth.log.zzkW0uv
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Feb 11 08:00 auth.log.zzkwJcT
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Jan  4 13:00 auth.log.zzkzLR4
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Jan 15 03:00 auth.log.zzpMZnk
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Feb 26 01:00 auth.log.zzqHHQF
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         75 Jan 10 05:00 auth.log.zzsUDaP
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Jan  5 01:00 auth.log.zzyMumT
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Jan  7 02:00 auth.log.zzzLgvw
-rw-------  1 root  wheel    3464472 Mar  8 17:15 cron
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel     919147 Dec 29 18:00 cron.0
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec  9 14:00 cron.z01GcNu
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 18 20:00 cron.z0smBRG
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 28 03:00 cron.z1POYdD
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 16 17:00 cron.zvh7LvG
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 19 10:00 cron.zvmZm3L
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 27 19:00 cron.zvnEACt
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 23 22:00 cron.zw9E9HU
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 21 09:00 cron.zwJmzq5
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 18 13:00 cron.zwTOEch
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec  8 16:00 cron.zwn8Fgs
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Dec 16 00:00 cron.zzSAEOg
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         76 Mar  8 16:54 cron.zzuL4BB
-rw-------  1 root  wheel         68 Mar  8 14:28 debug.log
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel       5944 Dec  6 03:01 dmesg.today
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel      28028 Dec  5 21:51 lastlog
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel          0 Nov  4 20:27 lpd-errs
-rw-r-----  1 root  wheel    2018303 Mar  8 14:29 maillog
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel       6479 Dec  8 00:00 maillog.0
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         59 Dec  7 00:00 maillog.z4Bh3Oh
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         59 Dec  6 00:00 maillog.zFWlD9W
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel         59 Dec  8 00:00 maillog.zcjrODo
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel      46520 Mar  8 17:19 messages
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel        192 Dec  6 03:01 mount.today
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel          0 Mar  8 14:24 newfile
-rw-r-----  1 root  network        0 Nov  4 20:27 ppp.log
-rw-------  1 root  wheel          0 Nov  4 20:27 security
-rw-r-----  1 root  wheel          0 Nov  4 20:27 sendmail.st
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel          0 Dec  5 22:00 sendmail.st.0
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel          0 Dec  5 22:00 sendmail.st.zJ24IkB
-rwxr-----  1 root  wheel       3721 Dec  6 03:01 setuid.today
-rw-r-----  1 root  network        0 Nov  4 20:27 slip.log
-rw-------  1 root  wheel        310 Feb 11 17:19 userlog
drwxr-----  2 root  bin          512 Mar  8 13:57 webmin
-rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel       3168 Mar  8 15:34 wtmp
-rw-------  1 root  wheel          0 Nov  4 20:27 xferlog