Don't Ignore Quota Warnings!
> On Sun, 2 Apr 1995, a user wrote:
> I can't delete my mail so that I will fall under quota. Help!
Overview
Each user has two areas for file storage. These are the file systems (a
directory tree on a disk partition) /BCCNA/home and /var.
User's home directories are on /BCCNA/home. User's can delete files
from their /BCCNA/home directory if they are over their "limit".
A user's email INBOX and temporary files for such tasks as sending mail and
posting news are on placed in a common directory called /var. Exceed
your limit in the /var directory and you will be locked out.
/var and quotas
The quota allocation includes both your INBOX and temporary files.
When you send mail or post to newsgroups, temporary files get written.
(These temporary files serve information to programs running behind the
scenes, permitting you to use your screen for other work.)
If you exceed your "quota", a warning message will display on the
screen. If you exceed your "limit", the sending of mail or
posting of news will fail. When you attach files to a mail message or
news posting, the attached files must be Uuencoded which makes them about 50%
bigger than the original attached file.
Inability to receive mail / bounced mail
If an incoming mail message is received while you over your "limit", it
will bounce back to the sender.
Once you let the seven day time limit expire on /var, you will lose almost
all functionality in your account. Further, you will no longer be able to
make any changes or deletions to your files. You will require the time
and assistance of a system administrator to correct your account problems.
In order to reduce space on /var, you have to remove messages in your
INBOX folder using Pine. Each of your mail folders is contained in one
file. Pine makes sure it writes the new, updated file file containing
your mail folder before it removes the old file. If there isn't space
available, the update fails and you can't get rid of the unwanted mail
messages.
And the only way to fix the /var EXPIRED quota problem at this time is for
a system administrator to individually adjust the quota. No system
administrator needs the extra work.
There are also impacts on your /BCCNA/home directory from sending mail and
posting news.
Email and your /BCCNA/home directory
When you send mail, a copy of the email is written to your *home
directory* in the mail folder Sent-mail. If there is insufficient space
in your *home directory* to write this file within your "limit", or if you
have EXPIRED the week grace period to get back under your "quota", this
file write will fail and you will get an error message on the screen.
News and your /BCCNA/home directory
When you read News, the newsreader Tin updates your "current
news reading" status - articles you have read or posted. These updates
require a file to be written.
If you are close to your "limit", the attempt to update this file
will fail and your "current news reading" status will be lost - including
your subscribed newsgroups list.
