Semi-OT: Rule2XSBody - resolved.

[Randal, Phil]

Stef Morrell wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info
>> [mailto:mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info] On Behalf Of
>> Julian Field Sent: 26 June 2009 14:07
>> 
>> On 26/06/2009 13:42, Stef Morrell wrote:
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info
>>>> [mailto:mailscanner-bounces at lists.mailscanner.info] On Behalf Of
>>>> Julian Field 
>>>> 
>>>> On 26/06/2009 12:39, Stef Morrell wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Hello,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I see the new wiki page recommends compiling the regex for the
>>>>> Rule2XSBody plugin. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> What I can't see from the Rule2XSBody or sa-compile
>>>>> 
>>>> documentation is
>>>> 
>>>>> how this copes with rule changes.
>>>>> 
>>>>> A quick google only had one opinion
>>>>> (http://www.davidpashley.com/blog/debian/sa-compile) which
>>>>> suggests for every rule change, a new compile is required.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Unfortunately, it takes quite a long time to compile all
>>>>> 
>>>> the rules and
>>>> 
>>>>> considering the download of Julian's spear phishing every hour, I
>>>>> could end up spending more CPU time compiling rules, than
>>>>> applying them to spam. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> The question then, is how to resolve the dichotomy. I may well
>>>>> have rules which supercede, replace, or add to the compiled
>>>>> 
>>>> rules. Equally,
>>>> 
>>>>> some of the compiled rules may be out of date and shouldn't
>>>>> 
>>>> be there.
>>>> 
>>>>> Do I, in fact, need to perform a new compile for each and
>>>>> 
>>>> every rule
>>>> 
>>>>> change (in which case, it's not worth me using compiled
>>>>> 
>>>> rules) or does
>>>> 
>>>>> spamassassin somehow 'know' which rules have changed in the source
>>>>> files, so I can run a compile perhaps once a day.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> Rules that aren't sa-compiled will still be used, and you don't
>>>> have to compile all your local rulesets. I just run sa-compile
>>>> after sa-update in /usr/sbin/update_spamassassin and leave all my
>>>> local rulesets as is. Seems to work fine for me.
>>>> 
>>> That's almost certainly ideal. How does one explain to sa-compile
>>> that it should ignore local rulesets?
>>> 
>> You don't appear to need to, it only compiles what it finds under
>> /var/lib/spamassassin.
> 
> It's not very clear from the documentation. "sa-compile uses re2c to
> compile the site-wide parts..." To my mind, /etc/mail/spamassassin is
> 'site-wide'.  
> 
> Still, that's useful to know and solves my problem. Many thanks.
> 
> Stef

Hmmm, I've just checked both the sa-compile source and the generated
rules here, and it does use the stuff it finds in
/etc/mail/spamassassin.

There doesn't seem any way to stop it from doing so.

Cheers,

Phil

-- 
Phil Randal | Networks Engineer
Herefordshire Council | Deputy Chief Executive's Office | I.C.T.
Services Division Thorn Office Centre, Rotherwas, Hereford, HR2 6JT
Tel: 01432 260160
email: prandal at herefordshire.gov.uk

Any opinion expressed in this e-mail or any attached files are those of
the individual and not necessarily those of Herefordshire Council. 

This e-mail and any attached files are confidential and intended solely
for the use of the addressee. This communication may contain material
protected by law from being passed on. If you are not the intended
recipient and have received this e-mail in error, you are advised that
any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error
please contact the sender immediately and destroy all copies of it.