Normal users can't build modules against kernel headers?

[Bas van Schaik <bas@tuxes.nl>]

Hi all,

Currently, I'm trying to package enbd (Enhanced Network Block Device)
for Debian. This also includes building a module against the kernel
headers for the client-side of the block device. Building the module on
the current sarge kernels succeeds without any problems, however, on the
current unstable kernels the kernel module fails to build. The relevant
error messages occuring during the build process:

> make[2]: Leaving directory `/tmp'
> make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.15-1-686'
>   SPLIT   include/linux/autoconf.h -> include/config/*
> touch: cannot touch `include/config/MARKER': Permission denied
> make[2]: *** [include/config/MARKER] Error 1
> make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.15-1-686'


Note that I build my packages as a normal user, when building as root
this error doesn't occur. However, I don't think it's a good idea to
expect a user to be root when compiling a module! Some guys at #d-devel
pointed me on the "src"-group: after adding myself to that system group,
building continues as expected.
So, there are two workarounds for this problem, but it should be
possible though, to build kernel modules as a normal user?

FYI, uname -a:
Linux debian 2.6.15-1-686 #2 Mon Mar 6 15:27:08 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux

Regards,

-- Bas van Schaik