Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

Now that I have Xvesa working for user by making it suid root, I tried to 
start Xvesa with xinit and an rxvt terminal and was told
rxvt:  Failed to open input method
rxvt:  can't open pseudo-tty
rxvt:  aborting

Xvesa &rxvt  as user gets me the mouse pointer on patterned screen but no 
terminal window (as root I get an rxvt).
When I exit the Xvesa screen:
[1] 231
rxvt:  Failed to open input method.

This is on a computer with Xvesa but no plain X (no XV86Config).
I think I was able to get an rxvt on the computer with both X'es.
I wonder what I am missing.

ls -l rxvt    -rws--x--x

This looks executable.

A web search found me someone's similar problem with xterm and XF86Config 
but no answers.  Another person had this same error message when trying to 
set up unicode - worked as root but not user.  Someone else had a similar 
problem with locale.

I have copied from /root to /home/user all files in '.' (configuration 
files) and hotlist.html.  The various console programs seem to work.  I 
also copied /root/.links/* to /home/user/.links because two files were 
hiding in there.  

links2g won't work as user - svgalib i/o problem.

There is also an .antiword directory to copy contents of - or maybe a 
better place to put that instead of in /root - /usr/share/antiword (I 
should redo the package this way).  Antiword also denies me permission to 
use it.   chmod +x /usr/local/bin/antiword - operation not permitted.
Luckily I know the author of this program.

I really do not need to be user for anything except printing graphics with
lpd (in xv) but Steven recommends it for going online and Opera needs
Xvesa.  Can someone tell me how to load opera without first making an
rxvt?

I wish I could print as root.  


On Wed, 18 Aug 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:

> man Xvesa says something about security holes if you allow users to use 
> Xvvesa.  A web search on Xvesa and suid root says 'kdrive servers must be 
> suid root wo work, which is _not_ a good thing.  Maybe it is possible to 
> use the old wrapper that X used for this purpose but this has not yet been 
> investigated'.
> 
> Hal said there were two ways to make something suid root (superuser ID 
> soMething or other - can anyone explain more?) with chmod and numbers or 
> u+s by the new method.  Another online search found someone trying to use 
> samba and being told something had to be run suid root and to do this type 
> chmod +x /path/filename  so I typed (as root) chmod +s Xvesa (from the 
> directory where it resides).
> 
> I hope someone more experienced can explain what suid root is and why you 
> are supposed to type u+s or +s (same thing?).
> 
> I can now use Xvesa as 'user', and thus print from within xv or opera 
> (xpdf?) once I replace the linux-incompatible MGA-parport card.  
> Anyone trying to print graphics in BL3 might need to install the packages 
> needed to set up user (getty and I forget what else) and chmod +s Xvesa.
> 
> I still cannot use SVGAlib as user: svgalib:  cannot get I/O permissions.  
> Back to the web for help. I set gs to use vgalib as the default device.  
> But I think I can still print to -sDEVICE=epson or deskjet as 'user'.
> BL3 does not use SVGAlib but BL2 uses it for graphical links without X.
> I have gs set to display with vgalib as the default device (a subset of 
> svgalib).
> 
> On Fri, 13 Aug 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:
> 
> > I can use Xvesa in BL2 as root but not as user.  I get a fatal server 
> > error if I try to do so, telling me I need to be suid root.
> > 
> > I looked on line and found two related postings and the solutions are:
> > 
> > install /usr/ports/x11/wrapper
> > 
> > and in /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config 
> 
> This wrapper stuff probably pertains only to traditional X.  Is it a way 
> of setting things up so as not to need suid root?
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> BasLinux mailing list
> BasLinux AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/baslinux
>