Input/output error on file in /var/mail - TechRepublic
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December 7, 2004 at 09:55 AM
henry eh...

Input/output error on file in /var/mail

by henry eh... . Updated 21 years ago

ls: root: Input/output error
Why can I not read the root file. It seems to be there but I can’t access it – even as root. Is there a premission violatioin (at some directory level?).

I was able to create a test file in the /var/spool/mail directory while logged in as root.

The mail program needs the /var/spool/mail/root file but can’t read it.

Here are the commands I’ve issued for more info.

[root@laptop /var]# date; pwd
Tue Dec 7 10:51:04 EST 2004
/var

[root@laptop /var]# l
total 64

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jan 17 2004 mail -> spool/mail

drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 4096 Jan 17 2004 spool

[root@laptop /var]# l spool
total 52

drwxrwxr-x 2 root mail 4096 Dec 7 10:37 mail

[root@laptop /var]# cd spool

[root@laptop /var/spool]# l
total 52


drwxrwxr-x 2 root mail 4096 Dec 7 10:37 mail

[root@laptop /var/spool]# cd mail

[root@laptop /var/spool/mail]# l
ls: root: Input/output error
total 0
[root@laptop /var/spool/mail]#

Many thanks
Henry

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