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From: ShadowTech Enterprises <shadow@he.net>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.misc,comp.programming
Subject: Perl Script Permissions
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 16:10:15 -0400
Organization: ShadowTech Enterprises
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Message-ID: <321E1027.58DB@he.net>
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Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:4695 comp.unix.misc:24730 comp.programming:27756
O.K., I am just learning how unix based systems work but I am having a
problem and I just can't figure it out. I am reselling web site hosting
space on an internet server on which I have an account. I am setting up
accounts for other people as subdirectories to my account. I am trying
to write a file managing CGI script in Perl that will allow my customers
to access their account, change/create/move file and directories from a
web page without issuing them a username or password of their own. They
must operate totally under my username. So I have written the Perl code
that will authenticate them based on a username/password database in my
root directory. I have also written some code that will allow the user
to 'cd' 'cp' 'cdup' 'chmod' 'rm' 'mkdir' and 'rmdir' by checking the
input received and ensuring that only the files in that users
directories are modified. What I am weak on, is the access permission
structure of the BSD/OS system I am running on. The script runs fine for
'cd' using the 'chdir' perl command, and but when I try to implement
'chmod' using the perl command 'chmod' or a 'system' call or by using
backticks I do not get any result other than a permission denied error
for the perl command and oddly enough I get nothing at all when I use
system calls or backticks, in fact the script just keeps on running with
no effect. I've tried setting the permission on the script to 777 and
u+s, with no effect but I don't really know exactly what that's doing.
The other commands seem to have the same effect. (I got around it with
'cp' by actually opening, reading, and then writing the file to another
file). Also, when I try to run the script from the shell (not from the
web) a system ('chmod 755 filename') gives me a different error,
something about an invalid file mode. Can someone please explain to me
what's going on. I think I have bits and pieces but not the whole story.
Can this be done? Does it have something to do with setuid?
Any help will be appreciated, if you can, send me an e-mail or just
reply.
Dave Hagewood
shadow@he.net