mail to root

[backyard]

--- Roger 'Rocky' Vetterberg <listsub at 401.cx> wrote:

> jekillen wrote:
> > Hello again;
> > I have a question about how mail from the system
> is generated for root.
> > This question was prompted when I edited the
> Postfix aliases file and
> > ran newaliases, then did postfix reload, assuming
> the mail system was
> > running. I was informed that Postfix was not
> running. So the question,
> > how does mail generated by the system get
> delivered to the root account?
> > Here is my motive:
> > I have a server that I want to run headless. I
> want to be able to retrieve
> > mail to root from another machine via ssh login
> (on the same private net
> > work number/netmask 255.255.255.0). I cannot login
> to the system as
> > root over ssh. I don't know if I can read root
> mail with su (as wheel group
> > member). I tried this but maybe I'm not using the
> appropriate parameter.

su - root 
will load up roots environment and let you check his
mail. At least that worked for me last night...

> > Or maybe there isn't any. I don't know where to
> look for an answer to this
> > question, other than this knowledgeable
> group.....Oh, man mail maybe?
> > Thanks in advance
> > Jeff K
> 
> I suggest you use .forward to get root's mail to
> another account.
> As root, do this:
> 	echo username >> /root/.forward
> 
> That should forward root's mail to whatever username
> you specified.

probably the best solution for a headless box, then
you don't have to su'in in to the machine. Nor risk
snoops gaining the password of all passwords...

> 
> --
> R
> 


-brian