Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : Recover email from redhat?


mike8706
08-08-2006, 09:24 PM
I have a Redhat system that was setup to distribute email to a company. But now, the system will not boot successfully. It will get to "Bringing up Loopback interface:" then it hangs. I can boot it successfully if I do an interactive boot and no start the network service. I have given up on solving the network problem. But now, I need to recover each users email from the system. How can I do that? Thanks in advance.

happybunny
08-08-2006, 09:55 PM
i think check in /var/spool/ for mailboxes...copy them to a network share somewhere...oh wait.....

whats wrong with your network? That seems like an important fix.

mike8706
08-08-2006, 11:46 PM
well, we have just given up on the server, and we are just going to completely rebuild a new one. So, is there any other place that I can copy the file onto? I dont know if the cd burner is working.

shadebug
08-09-2006, 03:32 AM
can you whack the harddrive ino another computer?

stumbles
08-09-2006, 09:23 AM
I have a Redhat system that was setup to distribute email to a company. But now, the system will not boot successfully. It will get to "Bringing up Loopback interface:" then it hangs. I can boot it successfully if I do an interactive boot and no start the network service. I have given up on solving the network problem. But now, I need to recover each users email from the system. How can I do that? Thanks in advance.

When you do the interactive boot and get the thing up. What happens when you run "/etc/init.d/network start" ?

happybunny
08-09-2006, 09:34 AM
well, without networking you have 3 options...

1. Put another harddrive in this server and copy mailboxes to it.

2. Put this harddrive in another server and copy mailboxes somewhere else.

3. Burn mailboxes to a cd

4. Plug in a usb harddrive

5. Fix the networking.

6. Apologies to the gypsy that cursed your network card and hope she removes the curse.

wait...thats 6....

mike8706
08-09-2006, 01:12 PM
Ok, I was able to copy the directories onto a cd. But I want to know, is there any way to migrate the emails to a windows exchange server? We have put the exchange server in there temporarily to manage the incoming mail, until we get the Red Hat machine rebuilt and back up. This would greatly help me out. Thanks

mike8706
08-10-2006, 09:39 AM
This system is acting really strange. When the login under xwindow comes up. I can login successfully with root. But, when I change over to the console and try to login, it wont let me.

Also, I have fixed the network problem. And now I am trying to connect to the server from a pop3 program with each users account to download the email. But, when the login screen comes up on the mail program, it wont accept any of the user names. Not even root, or the ones that I have created.

leonpmu
08-10-2006, 12:38 PM
Check your logs, maybe you have a rootkit installed somewhere...

mike8706
08-10-2006, 05:17 PM
Check your logs, maybe you have a rootkit installed somewhere...
Sorry, but rootkit?

mike8706
08-10-2006, 06:29 PM
Ok, I am completely unable to login under the console as any of the users. It just comes back and says login incorrect. Then when I try to logon as root, I can see that it displays a message then quickly clears the screen. I can't even read it before it's gone. BUT, I can login as root when the xwindow login come up. Also, when I telnet to the pop3 server I get a -ERR Bad login, even with root. So it's obvious that it's something to do with the authentication system wide.

mike8706
08-11-2006, 10:45 AM
I was doing some looking around in the /etc/passwd file and I think I may have found the problem. A normal entry should look like this bozo:$1$SJurthXL$mqa.kXhYQSLFm/CUX0BaE:1000:1000:Bozo the Clown:/home/bozo:/bin/bash Right? But, the entries that I have looks like this bozo:x:1000:1000:Bozo the Clown:/home/bozo:/bin/bash. I don't know why there isn't an encrypted password. Please help!

happybunny
08-11-2006, 01:49 PM
well, possibly someone has hacked onto your system and blanked out that password....which leads back to checking for a rootkit (http://linux.about.com/cs/linux101/g/rootkit.htm), so i wouldn't trust that system anymore.

However, just try a:

# passwd thatusername

and enter a new password for them.

mike8706
08-11-2006, 01:57 PM
That's what I have been doing. But when I am logged in as root and then I su to a user it comes up and asks for the old password, ok that works. But then it asks for the new password 3 times then it outputs "passwd: Authentication token manipulation error"

leonpmu
08-21-2006, 03:11 AM
you been rootkitted, backup any really valuable personal info, wipe that box and start again...

mike8706
08-21-2006, 09:32 AM
Alright, I've given in and backed up and wiped the box. How would have that root kit gotten on there? The system was pretty secure to my knowledge.