Re: Bug#388399: FTBFS problems on alpha, mips[el]: Please help debugging
- To: Ralf Stubner <ralf.stubner@web.de>
- Cc: 388399@bugs.debian.org, Frank Küster <frank@kuesterei.ch>, alpha@buildd.debian.org, debian-alpha@lists.debian.org, mipsel@buildd.debian.org, debian-mips@lists.debian.org, mips@buildd.debian.org, Alex Owen <r.alex.owen@gmail.com>, Cyril Bouthors <cyb@debian.org>
- Subject: Re: Bug#388399: FTBFS problems on alpha, mips[el]: Please help debugging
- From: Thiemo Seufer <ths@networkno.de>
- Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 23:56:30 +0100
- Message-id: <[🔎] 20060930225630.GD30302@networkno.de>
- In-reply-to: <20060930181922.GC4508@thinkpad>
- References: <86bqp3f0w5.fsf_-_@alhambra.kuesterei.ch> <86r6xvgiib.fsf@alhambra.kuesterei.ch> <20060929103700.GD21205@mauritius.dodds.net> <86wt7mgb2l.fsf@alhambra.kuesterei.ch> <20060930055438.GG4726@mauritius.dodds.net> <86irj5r999.fsf@alhambra.kuesterei.ch> <20060930160554.GB30302@networkno.de> <861wptp9m0.fsf@alhambra.kuesterei.ch> <20060930171240.GC30302@networkno.de> <20060930181922.GC4508@thinkpad>
Ralf Stubner wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 30, 2006 at 18:12 +0100, Thiemo Seufer wrote:
> > Frank Küster wrote:
> > > Thiemo Seufer <ths@networkno.de> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > So, if I understand that correctly, the bug was fixed by running mktexmf
> > > > as non-root, and the change of the cache location is only a collateral.
> > >
> > > No, or I do not understand what you mean.
> >
> > I meant the the earlier security bug you mentioned. To me, the solution
> > for the earlier bug as well as the current one looks like keeping the
> > font cache in /var but maintaining it via a mktexmf user.
>
> The problem is that mktexmf is a shell script (=no suid possible) that
> is started with the rights of the user. So the former solution required
> all users that wanted to use TeX to have write access below
> /var/cache/fonts.
Then I fail to understand
a) why the old solution was a security problem when it does something
similiar to e.g. /var/mail, and leaves the root-reserved part of
the filesystem free,
b) why moving the cache to $HOME or /tmp fixed the problem, given
that all three probably reside on the same partition.
Thiemo
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