# inetd[1714] tcp/pop3: bind: Permission denied



## illscience (Apr 21, 2009)

This log message keeps showing up on my shell. I'm running Qpopper and everything is working correctly but I don't understand why this message keeps showing up. Any ideas?


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## DutchDaemon (Apr 21, 2009)

Are you running qpopper as a daemon (standalone, listening on the pop3 port all the time) or is it started by inetd (launching qpopper for the duration of a session)? If the former, comment out the pop3 line in inetd.conf and restart inetd (or if it was the only service in use, disable inetd altogether).


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## illscience (Apr 21, 2009)

Thank you for the reply.  Qpopper is running under inetd.  Like I said, it is working correctly but the log keeps showing that message.


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## DutchDaemon (Apr 22, 2009)

The message means that another instance of qpopper wants to start. If you're running it from inetd that probably means that you forgot to add a flag in inetd.conf that tells qpopper it's starting from inetd (i.o.w.: it shouldn't try to become a daemon). I don't have qpopper installed, so read the man file for remarks to that effect. Also check /etc/rc.conf whether you're also trying to start it from there (as a daemon); something like qpopper_enable="YES", I presume. If that line is present, comment it out or delete it.

BTW, if you're running a busy pop3 site I suggest you use a daemon instead of forking every session from inetd. That's a lot of overhead.


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## illscience (Apr 22, 2009)

I figured it out.  inetd was running under my user name and not root.  I don't know how that happened.  Can't inetd only run under root?


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## DutchDaemon (Apr 22, 2009)

Oh, that's a new one indeed. You'd think that inetd could only run under root since it wants to open ports < 1024. Then again: it doesn't succeed in doing that, hence the error message. So it can start under a regular user, but it doesn't work as advertised then. You should see some protest from inetd in dmesg -a though, unless you started it when the machine was already running (still, I'd expect some feedback even then).


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## SirDice (Apr 22, 2009)

Only root can open ports < 1024. Any user can open a port > 1024.

I'd run qpopper as a daemon, inetd is a relic from the past, I never liked it and I never will.


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