On Mon, Dec 26, 2005 at 12:22:36AM +0100, Thomas Widhalm wrote:
> Am Sonntag, 25. Dezember 2005 23:57 schrieb Jon LaBadie:
> > On Sun, Dec 25, 2005 at 11:04:30PM +0100, Thomas Widhalm wrote:
> > > Hi!
> > >
> > > I set up amanda to backup some of my workstations. Now I encountered some
> > > strange issue: On one workstation amanda can backup /home but not /. The
> > > permissions in /dev are the same. The user amanda is in the disk group.
> >
> > What backup program are you using.  For tar the device permissions should
> > not matter.  For dump they do.
> 
> I have the option "program "GNUTAR" set.
> 
> >
> > Are the entries in /dev symlinks to some other file, the actual device?
> > On some OSs they are.  Does "ls -lL" (both lower and upper 'ell') of the
> > devices give the same results as "ls -l"?
> 
> Both ls's on the /dev/hda device and on the / directory show the same output.
> 
> Thanks for the hint but it didn't work out.

You over looked this comment I made.

> >  For tar the device permissions should not matter.

So I would not have expected anything else.

For clarification, tar does not read the devices directly, dump does.
Tar reads each and every individual file and directory.  Thus some of
amanda's programs must be owned by root and setuid.  Not every program,
just certain ones, including, but not limited to, the "runtar" program.

Even this may not be sufficient.  For example, if you are backing up
remote mounted directories (nfs ...) root's privilege may be turned off.
Or if you are running trusted solaris or other "secure" unix (eg. selinux),
root may not have "all power".
>>> End of included message <<<

-- 
Jon H. LaBadie                  jon AT jgcomp DOT com
 JG Computing
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