[RFD] 'nice' attribute for executable files

Wiktor
2005-03-29T19:54:26Z

Hi all,

recently i had to run some program (xmms) with lowered nice value as
normal user. to do that i had to su to the root account and then execute
nice --5 xmms. but, then xmms was run as root and X server refused
connection, so i had to do second su from root account. (total: su nice
--5 su wixor xmms). what's more, i thought that entering root password
each time i want to run something with lowered nice is rather boring.
furthermore, on many systems root may want to make users able to run
some program with lowered nice, but not from root account and without
having to know the root password... i've found a way to do this using
shell scripts combined with suid bit and strange fils ownerships, but it
is absolute diseaster.

so i thought that it would be nice to add an attribute to file
(changable only for root) that would modify nice value of process when
it starts. if there is one byte free in ext2/3 file metadata, maybe it
could be used for that? i think that it woundn't be more dangerous than
setuid bit.

Does it all make any sense?
thanks for responses

--
wixor
May the Source be with you