Weird boot screen message

[Derek Broughton]

Peter Williams wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> I getting the following boot-up screen message:
> 
> [...]
> * starting basic networking
> .:44 : Can't open /usr/share/sendmail/dynamic
> run-parts: /etc/network/if-up-d/sendmail exited with return code 2
> [...]
> 
> This is despite the fact that I'm not connected to any network/s.
> 

Then it's hardly surprising that sendmail isn't working. :-)

You _are_ connected to a network - if nothing else "basic networking" will
start your "lo" interface so that you can do internal networking via
localhost (127.0.0.1).  iirc, it starts any interfaces registered as "auto"
in /etc/network/interfaces - even if they're not physically connected to
anything.  The interface will then be partially configured, and connecting
a cable or associating via wireless will complete the configuration.

So... back to the message.  You have a mail program (possibly sendmail, but
possibly not, as most mail transport agents alias various sendmail
commands) configured to run a script in /etc/network/if-up-d, but the
program has probably been uncleanly removed - leaving the script in if-up.d
pointing at nonexistent files.
-- 
derek