Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 16:06:31 -0400 (EDT) From: FreeBSD@Jovi.Net To: freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: kern/33904: secure mode bug Message-ID: <200204092006.g39K6Vc83785@grant.org> In-Reply-To: <200204091802.g39I2tk39958@freefall.freebsd.org> (nsayer@FreeBSD.org) References: <200204091802.g39I2tk39958@freefall.freebsd.org>
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Bug is in the code. Perpetuated by policy error. Silent DWIM/failure is never acceptable policy in any API. Suggest this kludge be documented as a temporary security measure with a specific termination date, e.g. Monday 6 February 2006 to give app writers four years to fix their code after which the emergency broken kernel can be restored to normal. Cheers --Devon /"\ \ / ASCII Ribbon Campaign X Help Cure HTML Mail / \ PS: I do not advocate any specific solution to the current defect, there are many choices and I'm sure I haven't thought of them all, here's one: Accept small changes, reject large ones. Giving the caller half a time change is like giving the mom half a baby. Apps can learn to ask for small time changes. Some guiding principles: * API quality is paramount * Silent failure is never ok * Silent DWIM is even worse * necessity is not divinity (repent for we are all kludgers) Most C coders ignore error status anyway, maybe a clean UNIX system is a lost cause, still no excuse for the current DWIM hack, pure poison to allow UI kludges in the API, blurring the concept of success or failure. Date: Tue, 9 Apr 2002 11:02:55 -0700 (PDT) From: <nsayer@FreeBSD.org> Synopsis: secure mode bug State-Changed-From-To: analyzed->feedback State-Changed-By: nsayer State-Changed-When: Tue Apr 9 11:01:58 PDT 2002 State-Changed-Why: This is not a problem with the code, but rather the documentation. I've asked for help in getting the man page fixed, but not heard anything back. http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=33904 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-arch" in the body of the message
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