[leafnode-list] Re: Cannot update timestamp on /var/spool/news/interesting.groups/...: Operation not permitted

[Matthias Andree <matthias.andree@xxxxxx>]

David Aldred <nr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> On Saturday 19 Nov 2005 02:45, Matthias Andree wrote:
>> David Aldred <nr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>> >> Has someone or something accidentally set "immutable" flags on the file
>> >> (chattr on Linux, chflags on BSD) or tampered with ACLs (access control
>> >> lists)?
>> >
>> > There's nothing shown on an lsattr; where would I look for any ACL?
>>
>> With getfacl.
>
> Not found on my system.  Nor is setfacl - so unless there's another
> way....

Not to worry, ACLs need an "acl" mount option to be effective, and
unless you specified this option in /etc/fstab or in your initial RAM
disk, Linux does not care.

>> Did it run a full check? If not, try "e2fsck -fpC0 /dev/hda1" - the f
>> will force a full check, the p will enable safe repairs and the C0 will
>> show the progress bar, spinner and percent figure.
>
> That didn't come up with any errors: and after running it the error
> still persists.

OK, we need to do some more rigorous debugging.

> I'm not quite with you here.  I'm not in the 'news' usergroup, but
> it's when I use KNode to read news that the error seems to be
> generated.

That is because leafnode then tries to touch the files to mark the group
interesting, and not because KNode has direct access to the spool.

> Now I'm assuming that the act of reading news is causing Leafnode to
> redate the files, thus generating the error when the timestamp can't
> be updated by Leafnode - so I as KNode user wouldn't have to have
> permissons for the spool - is that right?

Right.

> I've also just tried 
>
>   touch alt.os.linux./mandrake
>
> when logged in as the 'news' user - there seems to be no problem with
> the timestamp updating from the command line.

That is what confuses me. Why would you after su-ing to the news account
(or directly logging in if it has a password and a shell) be permitted
to change the time stamps but not leafnode? If leafnode did not run as
root or news, it would be complaining loudly and quitting early.

-- 
Matthias Andree
-- 
_______________________________________________
leafnode-list mailing list
leafnode-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
https://www.dt.e-technik.uni-dortmund.de/mailman/listinfo/leafnode-list
http://leafnode.sourceforge.net/