Re: [Evolution] Can someone please tell me what Evolution is doing here?

[Not Zed <notzed ximian com>]

On Thu, 2005-03-03 at 15:27 -0700, Evolution List wrote:
> >From previous posts to this list I now know that Evolution stays awake
> so to speak and keeps downloading messages for me, even after I exit the
> program.  But what I don't understand is what is is doing as seen in the
> log entries below from my Linux system log file.  I have set evolution
> to download mail every ten minutes.  If nothing else it certainly seems
> to be doing that quite faithfully :).  
>
> Mar  3 14:50:01 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20558]: (root) MAIL (mailed 42
> bytes of output but got status 0x0001 )
> Mar  3 15:00:01 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20564]: (root) CMD (est
> -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons )
> Mar  3 15:00:01 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20565]: (root) CMD (m
> -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly)
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost sSMTP[20567]: Unable to locate mail
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost sSMTP[20567]: Cannot open mail:25
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20563]: (root) MAIL (mailed 40
> bytes of output but got status 0x0001 )
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost sSMTP[20568]: Unable to locate mail
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost sSMTP[20568]: Cannot open mail:25
> Mar  3 15:00:02 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20562]: (root) MAIL (mailed 42
> bytes of output but got status 0x0001 )
> Mar  3 15:10:01 localhost /usr/sbin/cron[20570]: (root) CMD (est
> -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons )
> Mar  3 15:10:01 localhost sSMTP[20572]: Unable to locate mail
> Mar  3 15:10:01 localhost sSMTP[20572]: Cannot open mail:25
>
> It seems to be attempting to communicate with my POP mail server and
> getting a status of 0x0001 back (whatever that status indicates).  But I
> don't understand why it cannot locate mail or why it cannot open
> mail:25.  

> Things seem to work just fine from inside evolution in terms of
> downloading the mail so why do these messages in my log file indicate a
> failure of some kind? 
As far as I can tell, this is nothing to do with evolution.  Evolution mail only sends/checks mail while you are running it, it doesn't keep running after you exit, like the alarm monitor does.

It isn't pop either, 25 is smtp.  It looks like your local smtp server is trying to send out queued email, and it checks the queue every 10 minutes.  When you send mail locally it goes to another process which has its own queue and re-sending policies, etc.

> When I check my crontab file I don't see anything in there to indicate
> that Evolution is doing anything.  Does Evolution change my crontab file
> somehow when it is installed?  
>
> Any input on this would be appreciated.  Thanks.  
>
> Carlos 
>
> PS.  Perhaps I should ask this on the Evolution hackers list.  If so
> please let me know.  

Well, this is better than the hackers list, but it isn't an evolution problem either.