Bug#357983: tetex-bin: mktexmf can't write new .mf files

[Frank Küster <frank@debian.org>]

Didier Verna <didier@lrde.epita.fr> wrote:

> Frank Küster <frank@debian.org> wrote:
>
>> Or/and a debconf question of higher priority?
>
>         Sure ! That's the way to go !

Hm, I've looked into this a little further.  According to my analysis,

- a noninteractive install of tex-common will give world-writable
  /var/cache/fonts

- a noninteractive upgrade of tex-common from etch to sid will give
  world-writable /var/cache/fonts

- only if you answer "Yes" to the "Manage font cache with debconf"
  question, you get a non-world-writable /var/cache/fonts

So I assume that you already did see the debconf question, but still
answered "yes" and were not aware of the consequences, right?  Would the
following patch have been enough for you?  (The first line in the
description field is displayed as heading for the question, depending on
the frontend used).


Template: tex-common/managecache
Type: boolean
 _Description: Manage the permissions of the TeX font cache with debconf?
  A TeX system may have to generate new font data (pixel data, metric,
  sources) on the fly. These files can be saved into the TeX font cache
  in /var/cache/fonts and later reused.
  .
  If you accept, you can specify a group name and *all* directories under
  /var/cache/fonts will get ownership root:<groupname> and permission
  bits 3775 (i.e. writable for the group <groupname>, sticky and setgid
  .
  bit set).  Accordingly, the ls-R index file will be owned and writable
  by that group.
  .
+ If you accept, font generation will only work for uses that have been 
+ added to the group you chose - this has to be done manually by you!
+ .
  The default is not to manage permissions with debconf, but this is just
  because this is required for building other Debian packages.  In almost
  every other setup, like desktop machines or multi-user servers, accepting 
- this is strongly recommended!
+ this (and adding users to the group) is strongly recommended!
 
 Template: tex-common/groupname
 Type: string
 Default: users
 _Description: Group that should own the TeX font cache
  You can choose a specific group which will own all directories under and
  including the TeX font cache /var/cache/fonts. These directories will 
- get permission 3775. We suggest to select the group 'users' here.
+ get permission 3775.
+ .
+ Note that on a Debian system, nobody is member of the "users" group by
+ default, they have to be added manually!

Regards, Frank
-- 
Frank Küster
Single Molecule Spectroscopy, Protein Folding @ Inst. f. Biochemie, Univ. Zürich
Debian Developer (teTeX)