:: Re: [DNG] merged /usr breakage
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Author: Didier Kryn
Date:  
To: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] merged /usr breakage
Le 05/01/2022 à 16:11, Hendrik Boom a écrit :
> On Wed, Jan 05, 2022 at 12:08:18AM +0100, Didier Kryn wrote:
>> Le 04/01/2022 à 23:38, Hendrik Boom a écrit :
>>> On Tue, Jan 04, 2022 at 05:09:58PM +0100, Didier Kryn wrote:
>>>> There is no utility in splitting the OS in several partitions.
>>> Might it make sense to have /usr mounted readonly except when upgradng
>>> or installing paackages?
>>>
>>     What could you fear which makes you want to keep /usr readonly.
> software that isn't properly packaged as a .deb, but instead has an
> "installer" that needs to be run as root.


    If the installer must be run as root, it is precisely because it
needs to install software in /usr. You have an alternative: either mount
/usr readwrite and install it, or keep /usr readonly and not install it.
Keeping /usr readonly and trying to install the software has no chance
to work.

    I have written such a software, called hopman. This discussion
suggests me that I should provide the option to install it in a user's
directory, without the need to be root, rather than install it system-wide.

> software that is properly packaged, but has components that run as root
> but do stuff with /usr outside my expectations.


    Do you mean a package from a Debian repository which would install
a trojan horse in /usr?

--     Didier