SUMMARY: at problem : server SOLARIS 2.1/diskless SUNOS 4.1.3

From: Leclerc Francois (leclerc@eps.slb.com)
Date: Fri Mar 12 1993 - 02:07:19 CST


Dear Sun managers,
Thanks for your help.

PROBLEM:
--------
>From sun-managers-relay@ra.mcs.anl.gov Wed Feb 17 19:52 MET 1993
To: sun-managers@eecs.nwu.edu
Subject: at problem : server SOLARIS 2.1/diskless SUNOS 4.1.3

Dear Sun Managers,

I'm in debugging the following problem , but SUN France is no help , so I
dare requiring yours.

configuration
-IPX SOLARIS 2.1, with NIS
NFS and boot server
-diskless SPARC (4/360, 4/75, 4/50) running SUNOS 4.1.3 for the moment

problem
at and batch command do not work in this configuration.

Some personal tests reveal that
-the 'at' job file created in /var/spool/cron/atjobs are with the good rights
but NULL sized.
-the problem disappears with a dataless SUNOS 4.1.3 client/SOLARIS 2.1 server
or a SUNOS 4.1.3 standalone
-the traces of 'at' between a working and non-working configuration differ in
the writing of the atjobs work file :

non-working configuration
write (3, "# at job\n# owner: root\n# jobname".., 393) = 393
fchmod (3, 06444) = 0
close (3) = -1 EACCES (Permission denied)

working configuration
write (3, "# at job\n# owner: root\n# jobname".., 435) = 435
fchmod (3, 06444) = 0
close (3) = 0

I have been able to replicate the problem on a separate test configuration
(new installation of the SOLARIS 2.1 server, SUNOS 4.1.3 diskless client
in THE SAME NIS DOMAIN) and SUN france tends to say they can not replicate.

I have exhausted all my ideas of test.
Have you faced such a bug ? Have you got debug ideas or work-around ?
My users have been waiting for more than two weeks ...

SUMMARY:
--------

Most of the replies warn me about the -root option on share command in
/etc/dfs/dfstab. As I used admintool, the client was correctly set-up with
share correct options.
Someone mentioned that "at" executable might be corrupted. On the same server,
a diskless client could not work and a dataless client could. It does not seems
to be the issue.
Someone mentioned to touch a file on the client.

the idea is to test as root, file permissions on the client side (SUNOS 4.1.3)
-go to the same directory as at jobs
-check variations for chmod (6444 is what is done) 4444, 6644, 6664, 2444, 6554
-try to modify the file

cd /var/spool/cron/atjobs
touch foo OK (ls -lsg)
echo foo>>foo OK sized increased

touch bar OK
chmod 6444 OK
echo bar>>bar NO still sized null

chmod 4444 OK (ls -slg)
echo bar>>bar OK !

chmod 6554 OK
echo bar>>bar OK !

chmod 6644 OK
echo bar>>bar NO still the same size
chmod 6664 OK
echo bar>>bar NO still the same size
chmod 2444 OK
echo bar>>bar NO still the same size

So the problem is likely to be the set groupID bit on SOLARIS 2.1.

This was also reported to SUN France.
By the end, SUN admitted the bug : 1119287 priority 1
They proposed me a work-around made in France until a proper patch is released :
they gave me a "at" executable which avoid the problem :), only 6 weeks after
I submitted the problem :( .

Thanks to :
-----------
arossite@us.oracle.com
kwthomas@nsslsun.nssl.uoknor.edu
miker@il.us.swissbank.com
mce@sdcc10.UCSD.EDU
geertj@ica.philips.nl
(hoping I have not forgotten someone)

Regards,
Francois

LECLERC Francois Etudes et Productions SCHLUMBERGER
 UNIX System engineer 26, rue de la cavee
                                         92140 Clamart
Tel : 33-1 4537-2924 France
Fax : 33-1 4537-2021
Internet : leclerc@eps.slb.com
SINet : EPS::LECLERC



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