Hi Danny, > I have recently upgraded spamassassin from 2.55 to 2.6 . It looks > like a new method of creating the BAYES database is used, that > requires the installation of the perl module DB_File, and means > any learned messages need to be re-learned. Hard to do if the > spam has been thrown away.
As with any major new release of software, it pays to read the README and INSTALL file. Right at the very top of the INSTALL file: Important Note For Users Upgrading From Earlier Versions -------------------------------------------------------- Due to major reliability shortcomings in the database support libraries other than DB_File, we now require that the DB_File module be installed to use SpamAssassin's Bayes rules. SpamAssassin will still work without DB_File installed, but the Bayes support will be disabled. If you install DB_File and wish to import old Bayes database data, each user with a Bayes db should run "sa-learn --import" to copy old entries from the other formats into a new DB_File file. ------------------------------------------------------- It can't get much plainer than that. There was also quite a lot of discussion about the changes to BAYES on this list over the last month or so, with plenty of warnings for those that follow the list that DB_File would become mandatory but that there would be a way of importing old Bayes databases. (Those already using DB_File didn't have to do anything special) If you use SA in any kind of "mission critical" way as I do for example it's wise to follow this list as a new release is approaching to help avoid any "gotchas". (And test it on a test machine too) This goes for *any* mission critical software, not just SpamAssassin. > Rather disappointed in how many things are broken in 2.6 , like > installation, working with mimedefang, bayes, and who knows what > next. Mimedefang is a whole seperate issue, although I don't use mimedefang I understand it accesses the Perl modules that SpamAssassin provides directly, rather than calling spamassassin or spamc, which puts the onus of keeping up to date with new SpamAssassin versions on the developers of Mimedefang. Mimedefang is effectively tapping into the core code of SpamAssassin and when major architectural changes are made, as (I think) happened between 2.55 and 2.60, Mimedefang and other filters that plug in at a Perl API level have to be updated to work properly with the new version. It's not a matter of SpamAssassin being "broken". I find the new Bayes system in 2.60 works much better than 2.55 so I hardly call that broken either. As with a lot of open source type software, you get as much out of it as you put into it, and one of the things that needs to be put into open source software is the time to read all the docs thoroughly before installing it, rather than closing your eyes, typing "make install", and hoping for the best ;) Regards, Simon ------------------------------------------------------- This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek Welcome to geek heaven. http://thinkgeek.com/sf _______________________________________________ Spamassassin-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/spamassassin-talk
