locate.updatedb isn't

[derekhed]

I am not sure when this started happening, but I am no longer able to use locate (or 'which' for that matter).

When I run the binary directly, I get this:
derekhed$ ./locate.updatedb
./locate.updatedb: line 89: /var/db/locate.database: Permission denied

The code around line 89 is:

then
	case X"`$find $tmp -size -257c -print`" in
		X) cat $tmp > $FCODES;;
		*) echo "updatedb: locate database $tmp is empty"
		   exit 1
	esac
fi

I have no idea where to start to fix this. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[ashevin]

Somehow your username no longer has access to the locate database. Please provide the output of:

 ls -l /var/db/locate.database

along with the username you're trying to access it as. In addition, the output of the groups command would be helpful.

[derekhed]

Thanks for replying.

derekhed$ ls -l /var/db/locate.database
-r--r--r-- 1 nobody wheel 256 Apr 3 16:00 /var/db/locate.database

derekhed$ groups
derekhed appserveradm appserverusr admin

So it looks like I am not a member of the 'wheel' group, but I am not sure what user is actually running the weekly cron job that rebuilds the locatedb anyway...

I am using XJanitor as this is a laptop. I have an entry in:
/var/cron/tabs/root

That looks like this:
*/15 * * * * /Users/derekhed/scripts/XJanitor.pl

Three questions:
1. Why can't I run this myself from the Terminal?
2. Why isn't it being run from the weekly cron task?
3. Is XJanitor messing things up somehow?

[hucklebuck]

Quote: Originally Posted by derekhed When I run the binary directly, I get this: derekhed$ ./locate.updatedb ./locate.updatedb: line 89: /var/db/locate.database: Permission denied

hi derekhed,

if you look at the periodic weekly code at:

/etc/periodic/weekly/310.locate

you'll see that the locate.updatedb facility is run as user nobody (su -fm nobody)

so, try:

 $ sudo periodic weekly

to get the db rebuilt

[derekhed]

Running the periodic command worked, thanks.

Still not sure why XJanitor isn't getting the job done, but the latest thing I can google on it is from 2003...

[Hal Itosis]

Quote: Originally Posted by derekhed derekhed$ ls -l /var/db/locate.database -r--r--r-- 1 nobody wheel 256 Apr 3 16:00 /var/db/locate.database derekhed$ groups derekhed appserveradm appserverusr admin So it looks like I am not a member of the 'wheel' group,

So? There is a third "r" there, allowing *anyone* to read it.
[Hmm... someone posted a wheel-related 'hint' this week.]

Anyway, 256 bytes is too small. That weekly task hasn't run properly yet.

Here's mine:

ls -lh /var/db/locate.database
-r--r--r--  1 nobody  wheel   7.8M Apr  5 03:19 /var/db/locate.database

It's read-only for a reason. The script that manages it must simply add
write privs when it runs (and turns them off when it's done).

Anyway -- as I guess you learned -- we mortal users were never meant
to run /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb directly. [though... it mighta worked
if you hadda used sudo.]

-HI-