RE: [cobalt-users] [RaQ3]Still getting "zcat: stdout: Broken pipe"

["Dee Dreslough" <dee@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>RE: Zcat:stdout: Broken Pipe in cron.weekly
>Has anybody finally found a solution to this problem, besides an answer I
>have once read on this list that "it isn't an error to worry about" (citing
>from my memory).
>I don't think this is a satisfying answer for me, 'cause an error is still
>an error, isn't it?!

Here's my 'take' on the whole zcat:broken pipe weekly error. When I look in
my /etc/cron.weekly, I only have this script:

makewhatis.cron

it's contents are this:
#!/bin/bash

LOCKFILE=/var/lock/makewhatis.lock

# the lockfile is not meant to be perfect, it's just in case the
# two makewhatis cron scripts get run close to each other to keep
# them from stepping on each other's toes.  The worst that will
# happen is that they will temporarily corrupt the database...
[ -f $LOCKFILE ] && exit 0
trap "rm -f $LOCKFILE" EXIT
touch $LOCKFILE
makewhatis -w
exit 0

Now, in my cron.daily, I have another verison of makewhatis.cron that
doesn't get the zcat:stndout error:

#!/bin/bash

LOCKFILE=/var/lock/makewhatis.lock

# the lockfile is not meant to be perfect, it's just in case the
# two makewhatis cron scripts get run close to each other to keep
# them from stepping on each other's toes.  The worst that will
# happen is that they will temporarily corrupt the database...
[ -f $LOCKFILE ] && exit 0
trap "rm -f $LOCKFILE" EXIT
touch $LOCKFILE
makewhatis -u -w
exit 0

My GUESS is if you use that -u flag in the weekly makewhatis.cron, that the
error might stop, since this daily version of makewhatis runs every day
without error.  However, this is only a guess.  I'm too lazy to try this
myself, because I'm too used to errors. Been working with Microsoft stuff
long enough that unless my computer actually physically catches fire, I
ignore almost everything and just reboot, reboot, reboot. ;)

So, that might get rid of the error.  Or, it might blow up your machine. :)
Who knows?
But, all Makewhatis does is update the Man pages... it's not the kind of
thing that should blow up your machine.

I hope this helps! Let me know if it works...I might get around to fixing
the dang thing on my own machine. ;)

-Dee Dreslough
Raq3 Newbie-kinda...