Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 131323
If smb.conf is deleted, program barfs on startup
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:10:48 EST
in sambaParser.py the following code: if os.access(path, os.W_OK) == 1: fd = open(path, 'w') else: dlg = gtk.MessageDialog(self.ParentClass.main_window, 0, gtk.MESSAGE_WARNING, gtk.BUTTONS_OK, (_("Cannot write to %s. Program will now exit." % path))) means that if the config file doesn't exist, the tool cannot be started. This is a textbook case of where access() should not be used. The exception thrown by os.open() needs catching and more descriptive error message given based on this. The same bug exists in other places too, but this is the one I happened to hit. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): system-config-samba-1.2.9-2 How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. rm -f /etc/samba/smb.conf 2. system-config-samba Actual Results: Uninformative error dialog "Cannot write to /etc/samba/smb.conf. Program will now exit." Expected Results: system-config-samba ought to have started normally. Additional info:
Ah, now I see it's the case that the tool also won't create a working smb.conf if it has been deleted anyway, so this is a mode of operation that is not supported I guess.
I guess it should just install a sane default smb.conf if it is missing, then work with that.
Yeah, that'd be a ideal. All the tools should probably do likewise. Certainly they need to give the user a way out of a problem that is all too likely to occur. In fact it is possible for the tool to destroy or corrupt the smb.conf itself, look at line 196 in writeFile: fd = open(path, 'w') which does: open("/etc/samba/smb.conf", O_WRONLY|O_CREAT|O_TRUNC|O_LARGEFILE, 0666); We've truncated the old config without making sure that the new data is safe on the disk. If the system crashes, the disk fills, the power is cut or another process started writing here, then we have lost or corrupted the data.
Ah, not to mention that the default mode needs fixing to prevent local root exploits if root (stupidly) decides to run without umask of 022 ;) At least system-config-network sets umask explicitly "Just to be safe".
system-config-samba-1.2.20-1 (in Rawhide) should fix all three issues. Next time please open separate bg reports, thanks.