Subject: Re: asking for the path to init.
To: None <tech-kern@netbsd.org>
From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
List: tech-kern
Date: 09/20/1999 10:57:53
>>> If the attacker can boot with the option to prompt for init, [...]
>> Not sure. Without devices nodes the game is harder.
> As far as I know, the whole 'path to init' thing is for failure
> recovery only, i.e. if you zorch your /sbin/init, you at least have
> the ability to run from the one you saved (you *did* save init before
> you zorched it, right?).

Personally, no.

That's one use for it, but if I corrupt my system that badly I
generally boot off another drive (I have bootable zip disks for the
various systems I run, this is part of why).

Personally, more likely would be (a) testing experimental init binaries
without having to put them in /sbin/init or (b) testing very-transient
setups (like copying netbsd, init, and sh to /tmp and booting from that
partition to test something).  I put it in at the same time as I added
the option to specify the root path within the root filesystem.

					der Mouse

			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
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