Baslinux mailing list

[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

On Mon, 17 Mar 2008, I wrote:

> I've worked out how to start some programs as user while running as 
> root. I figured this out by examining the man page for su (you get su 
. . .
> Now, I have to try and get this to work for Links. It seems like it 
> should be less complicated but so far the solution eludes me. I hope to 
> do this for naim as well. Perhaps I need to write some simple scripts 

I've managed to get the terminal/console programs I need to start under 
the user account as well now (while running as root). There was no need to 
write any scripts. My jwm menu entries, from which the command that will 
work from a terminal can be easily deduced, are as follows:

for links;
--------------------------------------------------------
rxvt +sb -g 70x28 -e su user -c links-0.95 ~/hotlist.html
---------------------------------------------------------

for naim;
-----------------------------------------------------
rxvt -rv +sb -g 70x28 -e su user -c 'TERM=linux naim'
-----------------------------------------------------

Note that the added -rv option for naim is for reverse video, which gives 
a white on black terminal that resolves the worst of the color problems 
naim has with rxvt.

What I've mapped out with these su steps might be the simplest solution 
for adding unpriviledged users to a BL3 system, don't you think, Sindi? 
It's sort of a half-measure, of course, since users can still easily get 
access to root priviledges (for example, by going to a vt). But it might 
work well for alot of the scenarios you face as you set up computers for 
less technically-adept folks. Under the routine I've come up with, xvesa 
and all programs--except those that have jwm menu items created for them 
that su to the other account--run as root. But, on the assumption that 
non-tech people will be disinclined to fiddle with config files, it may be 
a good way to cause important parts of the system to run without root 
priviledges. You could make just about everything in the jwm menu su to 
user before running, but leave those things that require root priviledges 
(like the dialer) as things that still get run by root. Anyway, seems like 
an idea worth considering. Definitely seems like the solution to my needs 
regarding the laptop I plan to set up.

Btw, you said something about removing from /etc/profile the line that 
says export HOME=/root, Sindi. What exactly does that line do? What effect 
will removing it have on the system? Will removing, for example, cause 
Opera to not try to download things to /root? Will it cause links and naim 
to look in the user's home directory for config files rather than looking 
for them in /root?

Looks like I'm close to achieving what I'd like to do with BL3. It may 
work well on the laptop I intend to set up once I've made these 
modifications.

James