Re: [Xpert]Re: User-level Tasks in Hotplug Scripts?

[Vladimir Dergachev <volodya mindspring com>]

On Mon, 4 Feb 2002, Jim Gettys wrote:

> Fundamentally, we have no convention right now for any client (root or not)
> to connect to an X server except on initiation of the user (unless
> the user is silly enough to disable authentication entirely.
>
> This is an generic X issue (how to delegate authorization to connect).
> There is the xauth mechanism, not very secure, but no convention on its
> use in these circumstances.  There is also support for kerberos, which
> is reasonably secure when used properly.  And there is SSH, which has
> never been integrated into X's world cleanly (and probably should be).
> And there is Owen's scheme for
> some sort of server process, but this presents much the same fundamental
> security/authentication/authorization problem as well.
>
> I don't have a preconcieved
> notion of what the correct solution is; I'm not even very familiar with
> the possibilities.
>
> Certainly, I want no user intervention as much of the time as possible, but
> we also need a hotplug design which allows for user intervention at the
> time of first use in cases where it may be necessary.  The hotplug script
> design needs to allow for this, even if it is not the usual case.
> And there is need to automatically run GUI based programs, even after
> configuration (automatically downloading images off your camera, for
> example).
>
> Personally, I find it very frustrating to have to go looking for a configuration tool before I can use some hardware: this is not something
> a (mere mortal) user knows in advance, and so don't believe the right thing
> to do is necessarily nothing (though for much hardware this may be the correct
> answer, it isn't for most casually used hardware).
>
> We can certainly split this discussion to the different communities
> if people think that is best, but I wanted to get the problem aired;
> there is a problem for each community to mull over at the core of this
> problem.
>
> And someone who sends mail from an address "nogui" certainly has a strong
> opinion on the topic, which may not be universal :-;.
>                                     - Jim


Jim, if the user is logged in so is the rest of the user interface. Why
not have a monitoring program (like console) that watches the hotplug
events and invokes corresponding configuration program ? This would also
allow for various user environments to customize configuration tools to
match their look.

                           Vladimir Dergachev

>
>
> --
> Jim Gettys
> Cambridge Research Laboratory
> Compaq Computer Corporation
> jg pa dec com
>
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