Re: [Bug-make] ./make check failure installing make 3.79.1

[Paul D. Smith]

%% "Geoff Alexander/Raleigh/IBM" <address@hidden> writes:

  ga> I get the following error from ./make check trying to install GNU make
  ga> 3.79.1:

  ga>    The GNU load average checking code believes:
  ga>    ./loadavg
  ga>    Error getting load average: Permission denied
  ga>    make[2]: [check-loadavg] Error 1 (ignored)

  ga> Can I safely ignore this error?  Note that I can run ./loadavg
  ga> from root, but not from my id.  Do I need to install GNU make from
  ga> root?

If you don't want to use the -l option to GNU make, you don't need to
worry about this.

If you do want to use -l, then you need to do something.  Check the
group and permissions of /dev/kmem.  If the group has read access, then
you can set the group of make to that same group (typically "sys") and
then make it setgid (instead of setuid root).

That's much safer than having make setuid root (although, make does make
every effort to behave responsibly if it's setuid; it won't invoke any
scripts as root or anything... still, make was never "setuid hardened"
and it is a complex program; there could be buffer overruns, etc. that
are exploitable (although I don't know of any)).  In general, it's to be
avoided.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
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 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist