On Tue, Sep 08, 2015 at 09:40:12PM +0200, Edward Bartolo wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I think, a simple way to avoid the backend having to call external
> programs like ifup and ifdown, is to use code belonging to these
> programs as it they were functions. This means, their code would be
> used like this:
>
> Suppose int main(int argc, char * argv[]) is the main function for
> ifup. The main function's name would be changed like this, and the
> other code belonging to ifup would be used.
>
> int ifup_main(int argc, char * argv[]);
>
> If I am correct, this should allow the backend to avoid having to use
> execl to call ifup or ifdown or whatever other external program.
>

So you are basically suggesting that your backend should swallow ifup,
ifdown and who knows how many other executables, just because you
don't want to call execl? No matter where the code of ifup lives, it
requires root privileges to do anything relevant, so having it inside
your backend won't avoid having at least one executable with SUID set
(the backend), or launched by init as a daemon (and thus owned by
root).

I still don't see why on Earth you want to "avoid having to use execl
to call ifup". Esecuting an existing command-line program into a child
is exactly what the wide majority of all the ncurses and GUIs
frontends (not just for network config) actually do. This is the
normal way of doing things.

"Incorporating code from other programs" == "bloating your little
software".

My2Cents

KatolaZ

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