Yuri Vasilevski posted <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, excerpted below, on Thu, 16 Jun 2005 13:20:44 -0500:
>> So I think it may be good for some packages to be split in several >> packages (but right now I can't think of any), but I think it'll be much >> better introduce more granularity into many ebuils with use flags. This is >> specially the case (in my opinion) of packages that can have both client >> and server functionality (the best example I can think of is net-fs/samba, >> which I mostly use just to mount shares form other servers). >The client/server thing is a concern for me here, as well, for security >reasons. If I don't have an SSH server merged, it can't inadvertently >be turned on somehow. SSH is apparently a dependency for something I >have >merged, and currently, it includes the SSH server. That worries me, as >it's a server component on a normally client system, and is thus a >potential security vuln. IMO, having it there when it's not used and >the >human behind the machine has no intention of running it, is just >/asking/ >for security issues. It shouldn't be there in the first place. >Unfortunately, there's no USE flag to turn it off. >Similarly with a couple of the DHCP packages I was looking at a few >weeks >ago. I normally run static IPs on a LAN behind a NAPT based router, >giving me a /bit/ more leeway in terms of security on my Linux box, but >decided to install some form of DHCP just in case. Several of those >packages have both clients and servers, with apparently no way to only >install the client, short of hacking the ebuild. IMO, that's not the >way >it should be. Gentoo isn't supposed to work that way, and PARTICULARLY >in >this sort of instance, where getting mixed up in your configuration may >mean you start the server instead of the client, is a security risk >that >simply shouldn't have to be there in the first place. >I'm sure there are other instances... >IMO as a Gentoo user... I have also had these concerns. The thing you need to keep in mind is that any server (like sshd) can *only* be turned on by the root user with a specific command. Gentoo *never ever* turns any server on by default (go gentoo!). If a cracker gains enough access to do this you have more things to worry about than a server being started. I know this isn't the answer you were looking for but it is the gentoo way...sshd comes from the upstream maintainer as a single package so it is installed by portage as a single package. This gives the user the flexibility that I have become accustomed to. Once you get used to this way of doing things it is no different than any other *nix based system. As it has been said on this mailing list a thousand times before, you can always make a custom ebuild in your overlay if it is that big of a concern. That's what I love about portage, I can create my own custom ebuilds and not have to rely on what the Gentoo Devs give me like in so many other distros. (even though what the gentoo devs supply is usually of the highest quality and meets my needs). -- gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list
