[BUG] DEFAULT_USER has to exist

[Marc Slemko <ma...@znep.com>]

If the DEFAULT_USER or DEFAULT_GROUP doesn't exist, then Apache refuses to
start even though it may not be running as root (and therefore won't
switch uids) or the User directive is pointing to some other user.  This
is an unnecessary hardcoded configuration detail.

Unless anyone can argue that this is a feature not a bug, I will drop it
into the PR database so it isn't forgotten...  

Not a pressing issue.

Re: [BUG] DEFAULT_USER has to exist

[Marc Slemko <ma...@worldgate.com>]

First off, if it is run as a non-root uid currently it won't warn about
anything even if there is a User directive that specifies a different
user.  

I am not suggesting changing how Apache does its decision making once it
has a user and group, but simply changing the fact that right now, if you
set DEFAULT_USER to foobar and have a user directive setting it to beewiz,
then _both_ foobar and beewiz have to exist on the server even though it
never actually does anything as foobar.

On Thu, 15 May 1997, Rob Hartill wrote:

> On Wed, 14 May 1997, Marc Slemko wrote:
> 
> > If the DEFAULT_USER or DEFAULT_GROUP doesn't exist, then Apache refuses to
> > start even though it may not be running as root (and therefore won't
> > switch uids) or the User directive is pointing to some other user.  This
> > is an unnecessary hardcoded configuration detail.
> > 
> > Unless anyone can argue that this is a feature not a bug, I will drop it
> > into the PR database so it isn't forgotten...  
> 
> If it made a loud warning about not switching then that'd be ok.
> Clearly, if it is run as root and there's a problem it should just
> shout and exit.
> 
> 
> --
> Rob Hartill                              Internet Movie Database (Ltd)
> http://us.imdb.com/tour   .. a site for sore eyes.
> 

Re: [BUG] DEFAULT_USER has to exist

[Rob Hartill <ro...@imdb.com>]

On Wed, 14 May 1997, Marc Slemko wrote:

> If the DEFAULT_USER or DEFAULT_GROUP doesn't exist, then Apache refuses to
> start even though it may not be running as root (and therefore won't
> switch uids) or the User directive is pointing to some other user.  This
> is an unnecessary hardcoded configuration detail.
> 
> Unless anyone can argue that this is a feature not a bug, I will drop it
> into the PR database so it isn't forgotten...  

If it made a loud warning about not switching then that'd be ok.
Clearly, if it is run as root and there's a problem it should just
shout and exit.


--
Rob Hartill                              Internet Movie Database (Ltd)
http://us.imdb.com/tour   .. a site for sore eyes.

Re: [BUG] DEFAULT_USER has to exist

[Paul Sutton <pa...@ukweb.com>]

On Wed, 14 May 1997, Marc Slemko wrote:
> If the DEFAULT_USER or DEFAULT_GROUP doesn't exist, then Apache refuses to
> start even though it may not be running as root (and therefore won't
> switch uids) or the User directive is pointing to some other user.  This
> is an unnecessary hardcoded configuration detail.
> 
> Unless anyone can argue that this is a feature not a bug, I will drop it
> into the PR database so it isn't forgotten...  
> 
> Not a pressing issue.

I agree. It is a bug, but it should be left to post-1.2 (or released as an
apply-to-1.2 patch).

//pcs