# makemap problem

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/makemap-problem/214141>\
**Category:** UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users\
**Created:** [September 26, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/makemap-problem/214141 "2008-09-26T20:01:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mbathrick](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/mbathrick/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@mbathrick](https://community.unix.com/u/mbathrick)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/makemap-problem/214141/1 "2008-09-26T20:01:12Z")

</div>

I have been running "/usr/sbin/makemap hash /etc/mail/access \< /etc/mail/access' for years now with no problem. Suddenly I am getting a hang on it. I have the following permissions of the files:

20 -rw-r--r-- 1 root other 9667 Sep 26 19:19 access  
0 -rw-r--r-- 1 root other 0 Sep 26 16:10 access.db

I am at a loss. Is there a way to debug makemap that I am unaware of? Perhaps a parser for the access file?

Mike

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mbathrick](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/mbathrick/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@mbathrick](https://community.unix.com/u/mbathrick)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/makemap-problem/214141/2 "2008-09-26T20:27:57Z")

</div>

OK, here's what I did. I had an old access.db file available - I moved it into the empty access.db's place and ran makemap with the -v flag. Voila, it made the database as it should. I dunno why, but it worked.

Mike

"It never fails to amaze me how little I actually know and how much less I understand" - Me

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jim\_mcnamara](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/jim_mcnamara/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@jim\_mcnamara](https://community.unix.com/u/jim_mcnamara)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/makemap-problem/214141/3 "2008-09-26T21:57:13Z")

</div>

makemap includes sysexits.h

IF you read sysexits.h you will see various values and what there meaning is - example:EX\_USAGE (64) is returned when parameters are bad for example. Check the return value and see what the problem is. IF you get a value, then run makemap under strace and locate what system call it is choking on. Most of the time it has been EX\_CANTCREATE for me. strace illuminates the problem file that cant be opened.