Re: network-functions: mild annoyance, trivial patch?

["Jaap A. Haitsma" <jaap haitsma org>]

Tyler Larson wrote:
> Quoting Bill Nottingham <notting redhat com>:
>
>
> > Paul Bolle (pebolle tiscali nl) said: 
> >
> > > I hope I'm posting to the correct list. Anyway, I'm using a encrypted
> > > wireless network. Bringing eth0 (the wireless interface on my laptop) up
> > > or down as a normal user would always gave me an error, either:
> > >
> > > /sbin/ifup: line 48: keys-eth0: Permission denied
> > >
> > > or:
> > >
> > > /sbin/ifdown: line 48: keys-eth0: Permission denied
> > >
> > > This error message would even "pop up" if I used the "Network Device
> > > Control" GUI.
> > >
> > > This was caused by line 48 in .../network-scripts/network-functions:
> > >
> > > [ -f "keys-$DEVNAME" ] && . keys-$DEVNAME
> > >
> > > "keys-$DEVNAME" probably expands to "keys-eth0" (on my laptop) and
> > > access to .../network-scripts/keys-eth0 is set to 600 (rw-) for root, so
> > > reading that file (e.g. with cat) as a normal user will generate a
> > > "Permission denied" error.
> > >
> > > Trivial patch: add "2>/dev/null" to line 48:
> > >
> > > [ -f "keys-$DEVNAME" ] && . keys-$DEVNAME 2>/dev/null
> > >
> > > Or would this trivial patch just hide a more serious problem?
> >
> > Nope, that's the correct patch.
> >
> > Bill
> >
> >
> > --
> > Fedora-config-list mailing list
> > Fedora-config-list redhat com
> > http://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-config-list
>
>
> the line:
> [ -f "keys-$DEVNAME" ] && . keys-$DEVNAME 2>/dev/null
>
> could just as effectively read:
> . keys-$DEVNAME 2>/dev/null
>
> After all, it souces the file if it can, otherwise just ignores the error. How 
> about:
>
> [ -r "keys-$DEVNAME" ] && . keys-$DEVNAME
>
> which will only source the file if it can read it. That way, error messages 
> from abnormalities in a broken file that should be fixed will still show up, 
> but if you have no access, it won't try to use the file.
Some questions out of curiosity, because I have the same annoyance.
I gave users the right to do ifup and ifdown as well in 
redhat-config-network. And I get the same error message, but ifup and 
ifdown work fine. Is this because the WLAN card remembers the old key??

I see a potential problem with sending the error to /dev/null, because I 
guess at boottime that will happen then as well and then I won't see any 
error happening. Or am I missing something? I think it would be better 
to adapt the script and check if root is running it (use the keys file) 
or a normal user (don't use keys file)

Jaap