NYCPHP Meetup

[Faber Fedor]

On 27/02/05 22:43 -0500, Hans Zaunere wrote:
> > > I've thought of three ways to do it: 1) have the sysadmin create a sudo
> > > user that can run the given commands with no password, 2) create a
> > > sudo user and store his name and password outside of the document root,
> > > or 3) write some C wrappers and set them suid. I'm not crazy about any
> > > of these solutions.
> > 
> > When faced with these options, I would choose #1.
> 
> The simplest and most straight forward would probably be number 1 or 2
> - but then don't forget that sudo is basically like giving them root
> for that command.  If that command can modify, the sudo can too.

That's the point of sudo, isn't it? :-)  

> 3) is probably the safest if written well, but then there lies the
> trick :)  For complex root operations, like filesystem stuff, 

Nothing that complex.  What I'm doing is manipulating the mail queue:
viewing, deleting and holding email.  Not all that dangerous, but email
is sancrosanct and only root is able to do those things.

> Since the scope of root operations needed in this case seem limited,
> I'd avoid root all together.  How about a cronjob that dumps the info
> you need to a database, or even a file?  Or a queue system...

No, the point is to have real-time manipulation of the mail queue in a
GUI.  cron won't cut it, IMNSHO.


-- 
 
Regards,
 
Faber                     

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