Re: Permissions Question

["Thomas H. George" <tom@tomgeorge.info>]

On Mon, Apr 02, 2007 at 08:17:05AM -0700, Jeff D wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Apr 2007, Thomas H. George wrote:
> 
> >After netinst of etch attempts to start iceape and openoffice as a regular 
> >user fail.  I was able to alter permissions to allow a regular user to 
> >open a console window.  If, in the console window I become root, then as 
> >root I can successfully start and user both iceape and openoffice.  I need 
> >to alter the permissions so a regular use can use these programs and root 
> >is not allowed to access the internet from iceape but I haven't found the 
> >proper way to do this.
> >
> >Tom George
> >
> 
> Hi Tom,
> 
> This sounds kind of odd .. How are you getting into X?  You really 
> shouldnt have to modify permissions to run these apps.  Why did you have 
> to modify permissions to start a console window?
> 

I am ashamed to say I don't remember exactly.  I think the sequence was
that first X wouldn't start. Checking .mozilla on my other box I saw the
owners were tom:tom so I set the .mozilla owners on the new box to
tom:tom.  I probably next did apt-get install icewm and the
/etc/init.d/gdm restart.  Then I was into X but the apps didn't work.  I
changed some of the permissions to 744 - again matching my other box -
and then could open the console window but the other apps aborted with
startup errors.  I tried strace -e trace=open and saw a lot of failures
but on my old box I also saw many failures so I counldn't pinpoint any
problem.  At this point I tried opening the apps from the console window
as root and they started with no problems.

To keep all the information in one posting I will also respond to other
replies.

	First, both iceape and openoffice are in /usr/bin.  openoffice is
	a softlink to ooo-wrapper.  All of these have rwxr-xr-x
	permissions and are owned by root:root. 

	Second, I have tried apt-get --reinstall install openoffice.org
	to no effect.

A final note:  I tried starting gnome instead of icewm it started but
with limited capabilities - I could not access any apps.

Tom

> Jeff
>  ---
> Human beings were created by water to transport it uphill.

OT but I can't resist.  I am battling with FEMA - the saviour of New
Orleans - which has declared our hillside property part of a flood
plain.  A survey shows we are 107.6 feet above the small creek at the
foot of the hill.  Must we carry flood waters uphill?

Tom
> 
> 
>