[GRLUG] Alias problem

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> Got a weird alias problem, thought some of you folks might have a suggestion:
> 1) Using an alias to call a Perl script:
> 	aa:	|/home/lvl/process_aa
> 2) Testing the Perl script on the command line works just fine:
> 	sh -c "cat test | /home/lvl/process_aa"
> 3) Calling process_aa from the mail alias, however DNW, though the mail log 
> shows it delivered:
> Jul 30 10:39:21 mail2 postfix/local[21753]: 0AAC7280BA7: 
> to=<aa at mail2.omnitec.ne t>, relay=local, delay=0.34, 
> delays=0.02/0.01/0/0.31, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to command: 
> /home/lvl/process_aa)
> What could be the difference between 'delivered' and the sh -c??? Is not 
> 'delivered' normal piping via STDIN?

Mail pipe commands run as (a) the UID of the MTA ["mail"?] and (b)
usually executed by a deliberately limited shell ["smrsh"?].

I'd guess that your test isn't simulating either of those conditions.