Bug#31864: Should programs that access /dev/* be SGID?
On Thu, 14 Jan 1999, Hwei Sheng TEOH wrote:
> Package: general
> Severity: wishlist
>
> I noticed that a lot of packages that access devices, such as CD players,
> audio players, etc., are denied permission to access the relevant devices in
> /dev/ when not run as root.
>
> Perhaps such programs should be SGID to whatever group that device is
> assigned? For example, since /dev/cdrom is read-writable by group 'disk', a
> program, say cdplay, can be SGID to 'disk' so that it can be executed by
> normal users. (This is what I've done on my system so that I don't have to su
> to root all the time, or make binaries SUID root unnecessarily).
>
> Of course, there might be security/administrative concerns that this might
> give undue device access to normal users, but since many Linux boxes (such as
> mine) are used only by one person, this should at least be an option during
> installation? Or at the very least documented, so that beginners who don't
> know about this can find out how to do it.
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