Re: [vox-tech] Nameserver confusion with non-root users

[Peter Jay Salzman <MAPSp@dirac.org>]

On Mon 12 Mar 01,  8:40 AM, Larry Snyder said: 
> >> >     #
> >> >     # /etc/resolv.conf
> >> >     #
> >> hmmm.   this looks like a problem to me.  it's been awhile since i've
> >> worried about modems, but i'm pretty sure you need nameservers here.
> 
> Pete and Henry,
> 
>     You're right. When logged in as root, kppp overwrites the file from
> a temporary source to look like this:
 
after looking at the symptoms, it was the only thing that COULD be wrong.

> I wish I knew how
> to control the rewrites, but for now, I'm in business.

i wonder if it is a permissions problem.   do this test (and please, no
squawking from the peanut gallery):

1. make /etc/resolv.conf world writable:   chmod ugo+rwx /etc/resolv.conf
2. make a PPP connection as a normal user
3. see if it works
4. change resolv.conf back to rw-r--r--:   chmod 644 /etc/resolv.conf

if it works, then my guess is that something needs to be recast into a suid
context.   if you can't resolve the issue, what might work would be to
change the group of /etc/resolv.conf as dialout, and make resolv.conf group
writable.   it's a hack that no doubt would make people like nicole barf,
but IMHO it's secure enough for a machine which is connected for an hour
or so at a time via a changing IP number.

if the answer isn't a permissions problem, then the answer is almost
certainly somewhere inside /etc/ppp/.

do you have a file /etc/ppp/resolv/provider?   if so, what are the perms and
what does it contain?

pete