bin/129963: [newusb] usbconfig(8) fails with misleading error when run as a normal user

Julian Elischer julian at elischer.org
Tue Jan 6 13:20:58 PST 2009


Hans Petter Selasky wrote:
> On Tuesday 06 January 2009, M. Warner Losh wrote:
>> In message: <200901062024.31100.hselasky at c2i.net>
>>
>>             Hans Petter Selasky <hselasky at c2i.net> writes:
>> : On Tuesday 06 January 2009, M. Warner Losh wrote:
>> : > In message:
>> : > <7d6fde3d0901061110r79333a07jf4eb134224a94747 at mail.gmail.com>
>> : >
>> : >             "Garrett Cooper" <yanefbsd at gmail.com> writes:
>> : > : On Tue, Jan 6, 2009 at 10:32 AM, Hans Petter Selasky
>> : > : <hselasky at c2i.net>
>> :
>> : wrote:
>> : > : > On Saturday 03 January 2009, Volker wrote:
>> : > : >> On 01/03/09 01:35, Hans Petter Selasky wrote:
>> : > : >> > On Wednesday 31 December 2008, vwe at freebsd.org wrote:
>> : > : >> >> Synopsis: [newusb] usbconfig(8) fails with misleading error
>> : > : >> >> when run as a normal user
>> : > : >> >>
>> : > : >> >> Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-bugs->freebsd-usb
>> : > : >> >> Responsible-Changed-By: vwe
>> : > : >> >> Responsible-Changed-When: Wed Dec 31 12:55:52 UTC 2008
>> : > : >> >> Responsible-Changed-Why:
>> : > : >> >> reassign
>> : > : >> >>
>> : > : >> >> http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=129963
>> : > : >> >
>> : > : >> > Hi,
>> : > : >> >
>> : > : >> > "usbconfig" will only show USB devices which the user has access
>> : > : >> > to.
>> : > : >> >
>> : > : >> > What should be the correct display message when no devices are
>> : > : >> > accessible due to innsufficient permissions?
>> : > : >> >
>> : > : >> > --HPS
>> : > : >>
>> : > : >> Hans,
>> : > : >>
>> : > : >> what about "access denied" or "insufficient privileges"?
>> : > : >>
>> : > : >> Someone might have a better idea but everything should be better
>> : > : >> than silently refusing to do anything.
>> : > : >>
>> : > : >> Volker
>> : > : >
>> : > : > Is this Ok:
>> : > : >
>> : > : > http://perforce.freebsd.org/chv.cgi?CH=155731
>> : > : >
>> : > : > --HPS
>> : > :
>> : > : Eh? I still think that strerror or something along those lines would
>> : > : be more helpful.
>> : > :
>> : > : You could also do
>> : > :
>> : > : if (getuid() != 0) {
>> : > :     errx(1, "Cluebat -- you might not be able to read the usb devices
>> : > : if you're not root");
>> : > : }
>> : > :
>> : > : or...
>> : > :
>> : > : struct stat usb_s;
>> : > :
>> : > : int fd = open(..., O_RDONLY /* blah, blah... */);
>> : > :
>> : > : if (fd == -1) {
>> : > :     errx(1, "Does the file -- %s -- exist?", file);
>> : > : }
>> : > :
>> : > : if (fstat(fd, &usb_s) == -1) {
>> : > :     errx(1, "Couldn't stat the file: %s", file);
>> : > : }
>> : > :
>> : > : if (!S_IRUSR(usb_s.st_mode) && !S_IRGRP(usb_s.st_mode) &&
>> : > : !S_IROTH(usb_s.st_mode)) {
>> : > :     errx(1, "File not readable (do you have read permissions?)");
>> : > : }
>> : > :
>> : > : /* Continue on merry way reading devices; maybe use strerror(3) for
>> : > : more intuitive error messages? */
>> : > :
>> : > : Thoughts?
>> : >
>> : > Do you really have to be root to find the devices, if so, that's bad.
>> : > Very bad.  xsane refuses to run as root.  I have:
>> :
>> : No, no. That's wrong.
>> :
>> : Do it like this for example:
>> :
>> : usbconfig -u xxx -a xxx set_owner xxx set_perm 660
>> :
>> : This won't have no effect at all with USB2:
>> : > [localrules=10]
>> : >         add path 'uscanner*' mode 0660
>> : >
>> : > to make it work.  /dev/usb* in old usb allow listing w/o privs...
>>
>> That's bad.  I'm sorry, but having to do something weird to get the
>> scanner to work every time isn't good design. 
> 
> I don't understand. If you are lazy you do:
> 
> usbconfig -u xxx set_perm 777

how about using the standard devd stuff?
why invent a completely new way of doing things for USB?

> 
> That will give everyone access to all USB devices on the given controller "-u 
> xxx". Note: No "-a" argument.
> 
> Or:
> 
> usbconfig set_owner warner:wheel set_perm 660
> 
> All USB devices ever plugged on your machine will be accessible by you.
> 
> I think Rink Springer is working on something in this area.
> 
> --HPS
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