Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!LBL-RTSG.ARPA!jef
From: jef@LBL-RTSG.ARPA (Jef Poskanzer)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: X server needs to be setuid root?
Message-ID: <880419085247.195@bl-rtsg>
Date: 19 Apr 88 15:52:47 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 13

>The wonderful thing about Unix environments is that no two are ever
>alike.  I don't think I've ever had to run either of these setuid on any
>Sun on campus.

Yes, on Suns a better solution is to make sure that /dev/fb is mode 666.
Apparently this is the default setting in SunOS 3.4, but not in older
versions.  With the frame buffer writable, the server doesn't need to
be setuid.

On machines other than Suns, you have to do something else.  The hack I
posted has a good chance of working.  A better solution would of course
be welcome.
---
Jef