Two problems with current ruby scripts
Dear all!
THe packages of ConTeXt I am currently preparing are tested by a user
and he send back the following questions/comments. Could you please
comment on this.
For the background: I install all the stubs from
scripts/context/stubs/unix
into /usr/bin, add a texmfstart stub that calls ruby with the right path
to texmfstart.rb.
----- Forwarded message from Mike Bird <mgb@yosemite.net> -----
> From: Mike Bird <mgb@yosemite.net>
> Subject: New texexec very confused
> To: debian-tex-maint@lists.debian.org
> Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 20:52:30 -0700
>
> The new ruby texexec is very confused. The problem of output
> defaulting to pdf instead of dvi has already been noted. Here
> are some additional problems:
>
> Command: texexec --output=dvips foo
> Should produce: foo.dvi
> Actually produces: foo.pdf
>
> Command: texexec --dvi foo
> Should produce: foo.dvi
> Actually produces: foo.dvi AND OVERWRITES foo.ps
>
> --Mike Bird
----- End forwarded message -----
----- Forwarded message from Mike Bird <mgb@yosemite.net> -----
> From: Mike Bird <mgb@yosemite.net>
> Subject: Is texmfstart secure?
> To: debian-tex-maint@lists.debian.org
> Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:08:53 -0700
>
> Package: context 2006.08.08-0.4
>
> If anyone who knows Ruby has time, can you tell if texmfstart is
> secure? I was really surprised to see client-server code. Even
> localhost services can lead to privilege escalation if not careful.
> For example, /usr/share/texmf/scripts/context/ruby/texmfstart.rb
> contains the following. I'm not a Ruby programmer but the comment
> leads me to think there is a potential problem here:
>
> # danger lurking
> buffer = ' ' * 260
> length = filemethod.call(filename,buffer,buffer.size)
> if length>0 then
> return buffer.slice(0..length-1)
>
> It looks like PRAGMA is trying to reinvent kpsewhich, integrate internet
> explorer, launch editors, and do a whole bunch of other stuff I haven't
> figured out. texexec should be a simple wrapper around tex or pdftex
> but it works via texmfstart.rb which is 2541 lines of Ruby - and that's
> a lot of Ruby. It may all be wonderful (I am not a Ruby programmer) but
> it makes me nervous.
>
> Is an older/simpler texexec still available?
>
> --Mike Bird
----- End forwarded message -----
Best wishes
Norbert
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Norbert Preining <preining@logic.at> Università di Siena
Debian Developer <preining@debian.org> Debian TeX Group
gpg DSA: 0x09C5B094 fp: 14DF 2E6C 0307 BE6D AD76 A9C0 D2BF 4AA3 09C5 B094
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