'ntpd' fails to start with error 'Cannot find user `ntp'' in logs, and sendmail gives the error 'sendmail .... RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory' in the logs

Solution Verified - Updated -

Issue

  • '/etc/init.d/ntpd start' fails to start ntpd, while 'sh /etc/init.d/ntpd start' works okay.

The '/var/log/messages contain the following related error messages.

Feb 17 16:27:13 <hostname> ntpd[9066]: Listening on interface lo, 127.0.0.1#123 Enabled
Feb 17 16:27:13 <hostname> ntpd[9066]: Listening on interface eth0, 10.10.62.147#123 Enabled
Feb 17 16:27:13 <hostname> ntpd[9066]: kernel time sync status 0040
Feb 17 16:27:13 <hostname> ntpd[9066]: frequency initialized -3.176 PPM from /var/lib/ntp/drift
Feb 17 16:27:13 <hostname> ntpd[9066]: Cannot find user `ntp'
[root@<hostname> init.d]# sh /etc/init.d/ntpd start
Starting ntpd:                                             [  OK  ]
[root@<hostname> init.d]# ps -ef | grep ntpd
ntp       9081     1  0 16:28 ?        00:00:00 ntpd -u ntp:ntp -p /var/run/ntpd.pid -g
root      9084  9016  0 16:28 pts/0    00:00:00 grep ntpd
  • The '/var/log/messages' also contain the following error messages related to sendmail, the reasons for which have to be investigated.

    [root@<hostname> log]# grep smmsp maillog | tail
    Feb 14 04:02:02 
    <hostname> sendmail[28107]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: 
    line 432: readcf: option RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or 
    directory
    Feb 14 04:02:02 <hostname> sendmail[28107]: NOQUEUE: 
    SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: line 451: readcf: option TrustedUser:
     unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory
    Feb 15 04:02:02 
    <hostname> sendmail[32324]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: 
    line 432: readcf: option RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or 
    directory
    Feb 15 04:02:02 <hostname> sendmail[32324]: NOQUEUE: 
    SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: line 451: readcf: option TrustedUser:
     unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory
    Feb 16 04:02:02 
    <hostname> sendmail[3985]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: 
    line 432: readcf: option RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or 
    directory
    Feb 16 04:02:02 <hostname> sendmail[3985]: NOQUEUE: 
    SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: line 451: readcf: option TrustedUser:
     unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory
    Feb 17 04:02:02 
    <hostname> sendmail[7387]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: 
    line 432: readcf: option RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or 
    directory
    Feb 17 04:02:02 <hostname> sendmail[7387]: NOQUEUE: 
    SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: line 451: readcf: option TrustedUser:
     unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory
    Feb 18 04:02:02 
    <hostname> sendmail[10803]: NOQUEUE: SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: 
    line 432: readcf: option RunAsUser: unknown user smmsp: No such file or 
    directory
    Feb 18 04:02:02 <hostname> sendmail[10803]: NOQUEUE: 
    SYSERR(UID0): /etc/mail/submit.cf: line 451: readcf: option TrustedUser:
     unknown user smmsp: No such file or directory
    

Environment

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

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