Subject: Re: Getting rid of /dev/veriexec
To: matthew green <mrg@eterna.com.au>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@netbsd.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 12/02/2005 15:33:04
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On Sat, Dec 03, 2005 at 10:18:20AM +1100, matthew green wrote:
>   =20
>    > Nathan J. Williams wrote:
>    >=20
>    > > I object to those, too.
>    >=20
>    > Why?
>   =20
>    The same reason; I don't like sysctl being used for things other than
>    individual knobs. I'm OK with sysctl(8) as a UI, but I don't think
>    that sysctl(3) does much but duplicate other infrastructure - namely,
>    the filesystem.
>=20
> while i agree that using sysctl for "control" interface is not
> perhaps the right thing, using it to export data is something
> that's been true for a long time and using it to remove set-id
> bits from various apps has been a goal of the project for a
> long time.  it's not just security, either - it means that ps(1)
> works always now, even 32 bit ps(1) 64 bit kernel.

To be honest, I wish we didn't use sysctl here. I think it is an abuse of
the interface. I think there are ways we could have done the same thing=20
with other methods.

That said, while I don't like what we have done with sysctl here, I think=
=20
it's MUCH better that the set-id code we had. Adding structure to the data=
=20
access is a good thing. :-)

Take care,

Bill

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