Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1756538Ab0D0Uno (ORCPT ); Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:43:44 -0400 Received: from e1.ny.us.ibm.com ([32.97.182.141]:41396 "EHLO e1.ny.us.ibm.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1755588Ab0D0Unl (ORCPT ); Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:43:41 -0400 Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:41:39 -0500 From: "Serge E. Hallyn" To: lkml Cc: Ashwin Ganti , David Howells , Greg KH , rsc@swtch.com, ericvh@gmail.com, linux-security-module@vger.kernel.org, Ron Minnich , jt.beard@gmail.com, Andrew Morgan , Andrew Morton , Oleg Nesterov , Eric Paris , "Eric W. Biederman" , Randy Dunlap , Michael Kerrisk , Alan Cox , Kyle Moffett , Steve Grubb Subject: [PATCH 0/3] p9auth fs: introduction Message-ID: <20100427164139.GA7359@us.ibm.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.20 (2009-06-14) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org List-ID: X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1583 Lines: 36 Hi, Here is an updated version of the p9auth setuid capability module, which hopefully addresses all previous feedback. It is now a separate filesystem instead of a device, as per Eric's suggestion. During the last round, Alan Cox made a great suggestion of sending credentials over AF_UNIX sock allowing the recipient to 'become me.' I think that's still an interesting idea, and intend to pursue it as Eric pushes the patches to translate userids across user namespaces. The tradeoffs are worth discussing. On the one hand, p9auth requires a scary CAP_GRANT_ID capability, while a SO_PASSAUTH would be more akin to an extension of CAP_SETUID. Also, SO_PASSAUTH would be usable by any unprivileged app, while one would hope there would be only one p9auth service for the whole system. On the other hand, the p9auth API appears to be pretty well settled and understood, and only provides for a very simple setting of all uids and all gids to one value, plus some auxiliary groups, which is perfect for use by simple login servers. p9auth and SO_PASSAUTH don't appear to be mutually exclusive. I don't know how painful it would be for plan-9 folks to make use of the SO_PASSAUTH feature. (It should definately be possible) But in any case here is the next iteration of p9auth fs for discussion and consideration. thanks, -serge -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/