[bug #61083] [feature request]: make updatedb.findutils more compatible by no longer using `su nobody`

[Bernhard Voelker]

Update of bug #61083 (project findutils):

                Severity:              3 - Normal => 1 - Wish               
             Assigned to:                    None => berny                  

    _______________________________________________________

Follow-up Comment #1:

First of all, updatedb does not use 'nobody' - it is the wrapping script
on the particular system which calls it with the --localuser=nobody option.

Then, su(1) is the portable way of switching the user.
setpriv(1) is part of util-linux and therefore probably not available
on other platforms like the BSDs, Solaris, etc.

AFAIK the systemd folks also re-invented the wheel for good old cron,
and they are recommending to use systemd-timer instead.  I'm not sure
whether that would solve that problem wrt/ destroying sessions though.
Still, managing sessions is a problem far outside of the GNU findutils,
and IMO should therefore be fixed or worked around that problem there.

Thus said, if a system is using systemd, but running cron causes problems
there when switching the user, then my suggestion is to already run the cron
job as a dedicated, non-privileged user, and avoid using the --localuser
option in the wrapping script.

I'm hereby changing the severity to "wish", and chances are we can close
this issue soon as "platform issue" or "working as intended".

    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?61083>

_______________________________________________
  Message sent via Savannah
  https://savannah.gnu.org/