OVH Community, your new community space.

What are these hidden root files for?


Bilge
26-10-2009, 17:51
Information about the server shouldn't be stored on the server and it certainly doesn't tell them anything about the kernel, particularly given that I have changed it.

Neil
23-10-2009, 16:43
They 'should' be safe to delete although they take up less than 1kb. You should keep the .mdg because it displays the server address when you SSH in, this is not just for you but also for the technicians in the DC, so if they do an intervention they know the kernel and the server address.

Bilge
22-10-2009, 19:59
I realise they are created by OVH which is why I posted the question here. Are they safe to delete? Are they used by RTM or any other OVH facilities?

fozl
22-10-2009, 11:58
The .p is the password assigned when the server was installed, the .mdg is the server number, and the .email is the admin email address. These values are loaded on installation, but they are not core linux stuff, such as you might find in /etc or /var for instance.

Bilge
21-10-2009, 20:37
There are three hidden files stored under /root on my OVH distribution:

  • .email
  • .mdg
  • .p

.mdg is the server ID and is copied to /etc/motd by the /etc/rc.local script, but what are the other two used for and what would be the implications of deleting them?