Subject: Re: Question about HOSTALIASES changes
To: None <jam@pobox.com>
From: Atsushi Onoe <onoe@sm.sony.co.jp>
List: current-users
Date: 08/14/2000 15:59:29
> since this modification changes the behavior of NetBSD.  I
> checked all messages in current-user but I couldn't find any
> message.

The discussions would be found in archive of tech-net on late April.

> On the other hand, for example, rshd already checks a
> ~/.rhosts file permission in lib/libc/net/rcmd.c.  It just
> changes effective uid while opening .rhosts file.  This
> implemetaion seems enough simple.  Does following code have
> a problem?  Probably it has since I've just written this.
> But is this idea wrong?

Since hostalias() is in the library code and it is not called
explicitly, hostalias() cannot know what uid/gid should be used
to check permission.  Suppose the application may call gethostbyname()
even after it swaps ruid and euid.

> By the way, I think the benefit is huge since we don't need
> to change the behavior of NetBSD if we support this.  I'm
> not sure how many people are using this feature.  However,
> it is one feature which was impelemented already.  I think
> keeping a consistency is a good reason for NetBSD guys like
> we are keeping an original vi interface.

I'm not objecting but we cannot find the answer for now.

Atsushi Onoe