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Re: debian: user-request-daemon (it could solve some problems)



Curt Manucredo wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:52:03 +0000
> Anton Piatek <anton@piatek.co.uk> wrote:
> 
>> Curt Manucredo wrote:
>>> dear mentors and members
>>>
> snipp...
>>> so this is the attempt to gain help from you! if you wish to have a
>>> copy of this program, please say so.
>>> the description of the 3 executable follows:
>>>
>>> *urequestd* can be called a *virtual super user*. it gets
>>> started on system bootup and awaits requests from the *urequest
>>> client* program. *urequestd* looks up the everybodys accessable
>>> fifo-file */var/opt/urequestd* and in case it finds *urequest*
>>> in */proc/$pid_of_urequest* and can make sure that the request
>>> comes from an urequest instance, it will execute the request and
>>> orphans it into background sendig the pid ot this process back to
>>> the request client. since urequestd does not execute any process
>>> unless it comes from an urequest-client, all verifications are done
>>> in the urequest client program. this includes user and group
>>> verification as well as checking if the request even exists.
>>>
>>> *urequest* is part of the urequest daemon package. it makes it
>>> possible for any user to *call a command*
>>> without the need for *root-rights*. to make this possible
>>> a rule-file has to be created under */etc/urequestd/rules/*. it must
>>> be a bash-script, set executable and having the file-extenstion
>>> *.rule*. to then make a normal user able to call such a request
>>> the user must be added with the *urequestp utility* as an authorized
>>> user. it is also possible to add a group to the rule to make a punsh
>>> of users able to call a rule.
> snipp...
>>> ps: i am not subscribed to this list, please cc me!
>> How is this different from sudo?
> 
> well. i don't know how sudo works, but as far as i know it needs a
> password-verification. with urequest you don't. this is not unsafe in
> my opinion since i use urequestd to wvdial for example or for the
> hibernate package or to ifupdown any iface with no need to enter a
> password. on the other hand with sudo anyone can call every command.
> with urequestd it is restricted to just those rules which are present.
> so for example: if your user-account is a memeber of dialout the
> wvdial-rule will run for you, as long as you add the group dialout to
> it. i dont say urequestd can replace sudo or su (it is not intended
> for that), but i believe it could replace setuid. as far as i can see
> wodim and pmount would be two great candidates for this! are they not?
> so here is my question: does sudo work the same way as urequestd? did i
> reinvent the wheel?
> thank you for your reply .
> 
> curt
> 

I have a feeling you have reinvented the wheel. Sudo can be used without
a password and can be set on a per-user, per-application basis i.e. give
user X permission to run Y with/without a password.

Anton

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