About the login shell
Hi,
I want to start this thread, because I think there is something
wrong with the GNU default login method. The question about the sense
of the login shell should maybe asked again at this time. What are
the advantages and, which is IMHO even more important, what are the
disadvantages of it?
One of the few reasons for the login shell, which come to my mind,
is: it is nice to demonstrate our feature of having zero auth handles.
Another one could be: it is convenient for the user to be able to do a
"less {README,WELCOME,...}". The most obvious consequence of the
login shell is that any random person, who might not even have an
account on the system, can get a lot of information out of the system.
It is cool to have the possibility to use the login shell - but IMHO
this login shell being the default login method on GNU has way more
important disadvantags.
For me it is simply hard to understand, why a system should be
unnecessary open and therefore forces people, who want a secure
system, to close all the wide open doors. I think, the opposite
should be the case: people, who want an especially insecure system,
should open all doors intentionally.
In times, in which GNU is just a toy system, no damage is created -
of course. But in times, in which GNU is not that for away from a
good working system anymore and even claims to be (conceptually) more
secure than Unix, this login shell does not make sense IMHO; simply
because it still wakes the impression of GNU still being a toy system.
GNU does not have to be different from Unix just to be different.
It should only be better in places where Unix was bad. And,
restricting access to a system for people not known to the system as
much as possible makes much sense in my opinion.
So, why not simply change login to loginpr in /etc/passwd in the
Debian GNU/Hurd default installation?
moritz
--
moritz@duesseldorf.ccc.de - http://duesseldorf.ccc.de/~moritz/
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