[comp.unix.ultrix] opser on a workstation

cathy@larry.sal.wisc.edu (Cathy Accettura) (08/12/89)

I have a Vaxstation 3100 running Ultrix-32 V3.0 (Rev 64) UWS V2.0.
I want to login as operator to shut the system down without becoming
root and doing a shutdown.  I tried login in as operator and typing
the operator passwd.  After a minute of turning my screen to gray
and giving me a pointer it returns me to the login screen again.

I read in the release notes for version 3.1 that you can't do this
so I did what they suggested,  I logged in as me and then su to operator
as operator I typed s for shudown and it said I have to this from 
the console.  I was working directly on the workstation.

I have tried this on a couple of other vaxstations and get the same
problem.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Cathy Accettura
Space Astronomy Lab
cathy@larry.sal.wisc.edu

grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins) (08/13/89)

In article <704@larry.sal.wisc.edu> cathy@larry.sal.wisc.edu (Cathy Accettura) writes:
> I have a Vaxstation 3100 running Ultrix-32 V3.0 (Rev 64) UWS V2.0.
> I want to login as operator to shut the system down without becoming
> root and doing a shutdown.  I tried login in as operator and typing
> the operator passwd.  After a minute of turning my screen to gray
> and giving me a pointer it returns me to the login screen again.

This simplest answer here is simply not to bother with opser at all.

Change the /bin/shutdown program so that it is suid root, and readable/
exectable only by group "operator".  Then add your or your "operator"
logins to an /etc/group line for operator.  After doing this, any of them
can invoke shutdown directly, without haveing to "become" root.

as:

su
chgrp operator /bin/shutdown
chmod 4750 /bin/shutdown

Modify the general notions as appropriate to your own sites notions of
security and who has privileges...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)