Re: patch to make Linux capabilities into something useful (v 0.3.1)

Casey Schaufler
2006-09-08T16:08:16Z

There is lots of talk regarding the interaction
between setuid and capabilities. While the
current semanitics that lack file system
support include (of necessity) interaction
the intent of the POSIX scheme completely
divorces the setuid mechanism from the
capability scheme. The intention on a system
that supports file system capabilities is
that the setuid bit is a ignored in the
capability calculation, allowing for a system
on which root is just another user. The
capability inheritance machanism is
complicated, but that is in support of
the ability to mark a program with a limited
set of privilege so that setuid root need
not be used.

Does anyone need a pointer to the POSIX
draft document? They include extensive if
somewhat disjointed rationale sections.

http://wt.tuxomania.net/publications/posix.1e/download.html

Casey Schaufler
casey@schaufler-ca.com