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From: tp@ndm20
Newsgroups: net.bugs.uucp
Subject: USERFILE handling bug?
Message-ID: <500001@ndm20>
Date: Mon, 16-Dec-85 09:10:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ndm20.500001
Posted: Mon Dec 16 09:10:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Dec-85 03:12:15 EST
Lines: 44
Nf-ID: #N:ndm20:500001:000:1974
Nf-From: ndm20!tp    Dec 16 08:10:00 1985


Below is a mail reply that I sent to someone on mod.comp.workstations
who was having a problem with uuxqt on  a sun-100.   I  am posting it
here to see if anyone more knowlegeable has any comments.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

>I have a BSD4.2 Vax uucping with the Sun-100 V1.3 software. The uucp
>copies work fine, the files all transfered, the connection is terminated
>and then uuxqt is fired up.

>No matter what I do, uuxqt refuses to execute any command. It returns
>mail to the vax with something like "uucp XQT DENIED (rmail )". With a
>similar message in the log.

>etc...

I don't have a sun, but I've had this problem (nasty, isn't  it?)  on
a Masscomp.  I don't know the geneology  of my  uucp, so  they may be
related.  Mine has a bug in the USERFILE handling  that gives EXACTLY
the  symptoms  that  you  describe.    Instead  of using  the file as
delivered, I went through the manual and set up my own.   Since I was
just trying to get it working, I put in a single line that said 

, /

figuring that that would let  anything through.   Unfortunately, that
single line lets  nothing through.   If  I duplicate  that line (i.e.
put it in there twice) everything works.  I don't have source either,
but my guess is as follows:  if  you read  the documentation closely,
the USERFILE is used  for 2  distinct purposes:   username validation
(including file access validation), and  system name  validation.  My
guess is  that they  forgot to  rewind the  file for  the second scan
(note that I am only assuming there are 2 scans,  not having source).
Thus the first of the  above lines  validates the  system access, and
then  when  looking  for  a line  to validate  the user,  it hits eof
without having found anything, and thus denies access.  

Terry Poot
Nathan D. Maier Consulting Engineers
(214)739-4741
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