Re: MC doesn't give a subshell for normal users

[Pavel Roskin <proski gnu org>]

On Wed, 25 Jun 2003, Степан Кузнецов wrote:

>  The bug is: when I enter mc as a normal user, it doesn't open a subshell.
> Instead of it, it just shows a '$' symbol and I cannot toggle the bars: it
> says: Error. Not an xterm or Linux console; the panels cannot be toggled.
> 'tty' reports a normal (not pseudo) TTY.

You must have two problems in the same time for this to happen.  "Not an
xterm or Linux console" is shown when there is nothing interesting behind
the panels, namely there is no subshell and the screen behind panels is
not saved.

Fixing the screen saving should be easy.  cons.saver should have
permissions to access /dev/vcsaN or /dev/vcc/aN (later if you are using
devfs), where N is the console number.  You can give all users permissions
to read and write those "saving devices".  You can create a group that
would own then and make cons.saver setgid.  You can make cons.saver
setuid.  That's considered safe.  The best option would be to change
permissions of the saving devices on login on the corresponding console.

As for the subshell problem, I think it's a problem with pseudoterminals.
I suggest that you use UNIX98 pseudoterminals and mount /dev/pts.  Make
sure that the user programs can open /dev/ptmx.

> p.s.s.s. sorry, if this topic was just discussed. I'm a newbie here.

I believe you are the first person ever who reported "Not an xterm or
Linux console" on Linux.

-- 
Regards,
Pavel Roskin