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Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 15:23:29 +0600
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To: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: group ownership on /dev/io, /dev/mem, /dev/console
From: Tim Pierce <twpierce@midway.uchicago.edu>
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I'm working on the FreeBSD port of MGR, the small Bellcore window
system.  In order to function properly on FreeBSD, the mgr server
needs to have access to /dev/io, /dev/mem and /dev/console.  One
option is to run it as root, but another I've considered is
setting the group ownerships on these files to `mgr', adding group
read/write permission to each one, and making the mgr server
binary setgid to group `mgr'.

This worked all right in an initial test, but I'm concerned about
hidden dangers.  Will the system be compromised or unable to run
by fiddling with the group ownerships on these files?

love, T.