[mythtv-users] Autologin for root

[lists at ulmes.net]

If all else fails and you absoutly have to run a program as root (as was
mentioned, setting up permissions on devices and files usually works)
I'd highly suggest perhaps setting the setuid flag on the file and
trying it that way
(http://lists.netisland.net/archives/plug/plug-1999-10/msg00059.html),
or running mythfrontend in some type of jail.  In the worst case don't
kludge together something that lets you autologon as root because this
probably opens up a huge set of issues with remote root exploits.  In
other words have X run mythfrontend on startup (as root if you must)
rather than gdm.  Depending on your setup this will probably even be
faster than going to gdm first.

More or less my point is that while running everything as root on your
Linux box is tempting, it's a very bad idea.  Taking the time to insure
that each program has it's own user to run as and has the minimum
permissions it needs to run not only insures that your box is _very_
secure but that you know exactly what is going on with everything inside
it.  It's not quite as bad if you have a firewall between your box and
the internet, but then you need to make sure that you box that is
running the firewall has these same things done to it, so why not just
do it to every box :)

-Kevin Ulmes


> -----Original Message-----
> From: mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org 
> [mailto:mythtv-users-bounces at mythtv.org] On Behalf Of Mike Wood
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2003 1:54 PM
> To: chepati at yahoo.com; Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] Autologin for root
> 
> 
> I'll jump in here to say that I need to log on as root 
> because I can't 
> get hardware decoding to work on my EPIA unless I run mythfrontend as 
> root.  Anything else and as soon as I go to watch TV mythfrontend 
> crashes.  I'd absolutely love to fix that, but in the mean 
> time, I may 
> try this out as a compromise.
> 
> 
> 
> IvanK. wrote:
> 
> >Bad idea.  Very Bad.  Very very Bad :-)
> >
> >How many more times do I have to repeat this before I drive 
> the point 
> >home?
> >
> >Better spend some extra time resolving why things don't work for 
> >non-root
> >users, than open this huge hole.  Usually it's a matter of 
> permissions.  
> >Could you be a little more specific what it is that doesn't work?
> >
> >IvanK.
> >
> >On Friday 05 December 2003 11:40 am, Dave Anderson wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>I know this isn't recommended, but I was wondering if there 
> was a way 
> >>I can have an autologin for root? I used the gdmsetup and set 
> >>autologin for a general user and it works, but not for root.
> >>
> >>I'm having some troubles running things as a general user but they 
> >>work as root. I wanted to test the system with an autologin 
> as root to 
> >>make sure things are ok.
> >>
> >>Dave
> >>    
> >>
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >mythtv-users mailing list
> >mythtv-users at mythtv.org 
> >http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> >
> >
> >  
> >
> 
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org 
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-> bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>