Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Bionicpup64 8.0
Simply trying to use ``run-as-spot``, or ``su spot`` does not work as it exits due to permission being denied. Both for ash, and sh. Even executing browsers via their menu entry does not work, as they can write to places outside /home/spot.
The flags for puppy are ``pfix=nocopy pmedia=usbhd mitigations=off'
As well I am using 5.10-ck kernel.

Using xenialpup64-7.5
I get

root# run-as-spot
root# whoami
root
root# su spot
root$ whoami
spot
root$ 

Now if I can just remember how to get back to being root.

April wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:24 am

Using xenialpup64-7.5
I get

Code: Select all

root# run-as-spot
root# whoami
root
root# su spot
root$ whoami
spot
root$ 

Now if I can just remember how to get back to being root.

exit

OR just close the terminal, you will be root when you open a new terminal.

Hi April, TerryH's suggestion is more likely to work than "Out, Out damn spot."
Rather than take up additional Forum's space with a another reply, let me congratulate you here on your recent announcement.
We all need to be apprised of more good news beyond the occasional "Generalismo Franco is still dead."

The order suggested does not work unfortunately.

Phoenix wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:32 am

The order suggested does not work unfortunately.

Yes you said that . That means it is a fault particular to Bionicpup64 8.0 probably.

Well it works on the same puppy that my sister uses. So I'm not certain what I'm doing wrong here.

Others with more knowledge on Bionic pup will chip in but my guess would be you have deleted a file needed or overwritten one with new stuff imported. How long since a new save file and can you boot from a CD or other without a savefile and try it then.

I have now booted via pfix=ram and setting up via loginmanager still doesn't work. Permissions still being denied. I've tried chown spot:root and that fails too.

What exactly are you trying to do?

Spot is not a different login user.

spot is not a normal user, you don't login as user spot. Instead, you bootup in the normal way as the root user, but you can choose to run some Internet applications as the restricted user spot.
This means that you have unfettered access to your local system, all the benefits of root, no hassles with file/directory ownerships and permissions, no restrictions on access to all hardware.
But, you can run, for example, SeaMonkey (browser, Composer, mail&news, IRC-chat suite), as spot. The home directory for spot is /root/spot, and SeaMonkey will only be able to (normally) edit/create/write files inside /root/spot.

run-as-spot basically lets you fool a Program into thinking it is not running as root user.
Used in a execute line or terminal command.
run-as-spot (name of the program exec file that runs the program)

I am preferably trying to run-as-spot for a given program, such as firefox or palemoon. But run-as-spot does not work either. /bin/ash: Permission denied
As well, reading the README.txt reveals I should be able to issue su spot; cd ~

I just experienced the same problem. I can run Chromium 97 as root in Bionic with its own profile. It will not run with an earlier version profile or as user spot.

Reading cli feedback it appears to be trying to put the config in the /home directory.

I experience the same in a current 32 pup.

Walsh explains: http://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.p ... 688#p48688

Is this the Ubuntu-izing of Upups?

I have Chromium 90 in Xenial as spot, so the salient question:

When does the cutoff occur?

Otherwise, the only non-technical way I know to get around this problem is to run standalone in the spot directory. It is also possible of course to make .sfs of standalone, specifically for spot.

In Puppy Setup, can't remember exactly the name right off the top of my head, maybe PupControl?? Think that's it...
Anywho, in there you can choose the option to "Run all internet applications as 'Spot'" or some such. Have you tried
that? If not, try it and report results. NOTE: DO NOT "SU SPOT" OR OTHER SUDO TYPE...su is probably not even a
part of Puppy...I've never used it...Puppy is NOT Ubuntu, though your Pup may be based on 'buntu.
Wiz

Wiz57 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:04 am

Anywho, in there you can choose the option to "Run all internet applications as 'Spot'" or some such. Have you tried
that? If not, try it and report results.

It's quicksetup, 1st run in initial boots or remasters. It wouldn't kill to try, but I wouldn't expect it to work trying to use a config parent directory that does not exist.

Still a fail unfortunately...

root# su spot; cd ~
root$ whoami
spot
root$ su
su: must be suid to work properly
root$ su root
su: must be suid to work properly
root$ close terminal and you are root again 

xenialpup64-7.5

Even with that the first command fails because /bin/sh is denied to spot. I'm honestly not certain what is wrong here as all the executable bits are set for the owner, group, and world...

@Phoenix ,
here is the fix: (in a terminal)

chmod 755 /
chmod 755 /bin
chmod 755 /lib

This did not resolve su spot failing. As well run-as-spot fails too! This is very strange. (Please, I hope I don't have to use -R because that will write to my savefile with tons of stuff)

Phoenix wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 11:45 pm

Bionicpup64 8.0
Simply trying to use ``run-as-spot``, or ``su spot`` does not work as it exits due to permission being denied. Both for ash, and sh. Even executing browsers via their menu entry does not work, as they can write to places outside /home/spot.
The flags for puppy are ``pfix=nocopy pmedia=usbhd mitigations=off'
As well I am using 5.10-ck kernel.

I just tried it in my install of Bionicpup64 8.0, fully udated using Quickpet->Info->Bionicpup updates.

Works for me.

I see you are running in nocopy mode.
Are you using a save?
If no you need to be.

Settings to run internet programs as spot, need to be saved, so they get used as settings, to run the program.
menu->System->Login and Security Manager->Spot
A save file/folder is needed for these settings to stick.

Tried in a terminal:

run-as-spot firefox

Firefox acted as it should to only allow downloads to /home/spot/
Any other selected location gave could not do errors.
Same results with some other browsers I tried.

So have you updated Bionicpup64 8.0?
you need a save to store this update stuff, so it gets used on next boot up.
Not sure if the not original Bionicpup64 kernel, you use, is also your issue.
There could be something you added or deleted, that is messing yours up.

Note:
All browsers I have installed, will take 5 to 10 seconds to start, from the time I click on menu entry or run from terminal.
most do stuff in background startup, before their window pops up.

Yes I have. I have updated, I have a savefile, and no, run-as-spot does not work, as /bin/ash is being denied. On a further note kernels being used are not an issue, as my sister's puppy uses the same unoriginal kernel that I use.

Phoenix wrote: ↑Sun Feb 06, 2022 2:38 am

Yes I have. I have updated, I have a savefile, and no, run-as-spot does not work, as /bin/ash is being denied.

Which browser?

Look in /bin

ash should be a symbolic link to busybox

busybox should also be in /bin

If you enter ash --help in a terminal do you get this:

root# ash --help
BusyBox v1.29.3 (2018-09-25 16:13:15 +08) multi-call binary.

Usage: ash [-/+OPTIONS] [-/+o OPT]... [-c 'SCRIPT' [ARG0 [ARGS]] / FILE [ARGS] / -s [ARGS]]

Unix shell interpreter
root#

You are booting Bionicpup as normally done, as root?

Yes, /bin/ash is linked to busybox. And the output is identical with ash --help.
I am trying to either get firefox or palemoon to execute under the user spot.

I was able to reproduce the error by intentionally putting wrong permissions on a few files in /bin
Couple of things you can try:

root# chmod 755 /bin/*

Or get the original puppy_bionicpup64_8.0 iso - double click it and the puppy_bionicpup64_8.0.sfs - then copy the /bin folder in this sfs to root, to overwrite whatever is there

Your struggle has been inspiring some misadventures. I literally just crashed Bionic64 with sfs_load to where commands wouldn't execute. I had to poweroff with the device button.

I've had prior success, but I'm currently not able to make a .sfs run from the spot directory in Bionic64.

Alas, I am now in Pale Moon 28.4 builtin Bionic64 as spot.

If you can boot a default live session to run as spot, I would guess it's just a snafu you've saved in use.

Then we keep discovering or back to the drawing board.

There are posts, all over this forum, about doing an install of some program package, that was not specifically compiled for the specific Puppy version.
It changed some file permissions.
Now other programs will not work.

Usually it is program packages you get from program specific web sites.
Repositories of program packages compiled for other Linux OS's.
Programs, that for some reason, are coded to make this permission changes.

Problem is trying to figure out exactly what files did it change permissions on.

The good thing is all of this is in the save.

So, replacing the messed up save, with a good backup copy of a good working save, fixes it.

It will be aforementioned that even with a live session and ticking spot and all, it still refuses to work at all. I now have gone through the list of dependencies for /bin/bash and set 755, and su spot still complains about permissions being denied. As well /, /bin, and /lib have 755 on them. I know there's something different between my computer and my sister's, but I can't place my paw on it.

If you've tried a default live session in Mainline Bionic 64 and the builtin Pale Moon runs as spot on one computer and does not on another, I would be testing other distros on the non-working device before resignation if there's not an extraordinary reason to use it for browsing.