

Debian bug report logs - #334
dpkg silently returns unless I'm god

Package: dpkg ; Reported by: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>; 153
days old .
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Date: Thu, 19 Jan 95 03:02 GMT
From: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: Debian bugs submission address <debian-bugs@pixar.com>
Cc: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>
Subject: Re: Bug#334: dpkg silently returns unless I'm god

Matt Birkholz writes ("Bug#334: dpkg silently returns unless I'm god"):
> Package: dpkg
> Version: 0.93.14
> 
> `dpkg --list' emits nothing unless I'm root -- not even a "Permission 
denied".
> (An error message would be nicer than the silent treatment.  Why can't 
a
> normal user get a list of the installede packages?)

dpkg --list was broken in 0.93.14, because it was still being
implemented by old code in dpkg-deb.  This is fixed in 0.93.15.  When
I invoke it now I get:
 dpkg - critical error: failed to create new pid file
  /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.3824: Permission denied

However, clearly this is a problem and ordinary users should be able
to list packages.  dpkg should not try to lock the database.

There is also a typo in this area caused by keybounce, this will be
fixed in 0.93.16.

Ian.
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Message sent:


From: iwj@cam-orl.co.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
Subject: Bug#334: Info received (was Bug#334: dpkg silently returns 
unless I'm god)
In-Reply-To: <m0rUn8m-0002g8Z.ijackson@nyx.cs.du.edu>
References: <m0rUn8m-0002g8Z.ijackson@nyx.cs.du.edu>

Thank you for the additional information you have supplied regarding
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From: iwj10@cus.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: Debian bugs submission address <debian-bugs@pixar.com>
Cc: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>

Matt Birkholz writes ("Bug#334: dpkg silently returns unless I'm god"):
> Package: dpkg
> Version: 0.93.14
>
> `dpkg --list' emits nothing unless I'm root -- not even a "Permission 
denied".
> (An error message would be nicer than the silent treatment.  Why can't 
a
> normal user get a list of the installede packages?)

dpkg --list was broken in 0.93.14, because it was still being
implemented by old code in dpkg-deb.  This is fixed in 0.93.15.  When
I invoke it now I get:
 dpkg - critical error: failed to create new pid file
  /var/lib/dpkg/tmp.3824: Permission denied

However, clearly this is a problem and ordinary users should be able
to list packages.  dpkg should not try to lock the database.

There is also a typo in this area caused by keybounce, this will be
fixed in 0.93.16.

Ian.

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From primenet.com!birkholz Wed Jan 18 02:48:20 1995
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Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 03:51 MST
From: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>
To: Debian Bugs <debian-bugs@pixar.com>
Subject: dpkg silently returns unless I'm god

Package: dpkg
Version: 0.93.14

`dpkg --list' emits nothing unless I'm root -- not even a "Permission 
denied".
(An error message would be nicer than the silent treatment.  Why can't a
normal user get a list of the installede packages?)

Matt Birkholz
birkholz@midnight.com
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Message sent:


From: iwj@cam-orl.co.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>
Subject: Bug#334: Acknowledgement (was: dpkg silently returns unless I'm 
god)
In-Reply-To: <m0rUXzF-0005KPC@dagobah.primenet.com>
References: <m0rUXzF-0005KPC@dagobah.primenet.com>

Thank you for the problem report you have sent regarding Debian 
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Date: Wed, 18 Jan 95 03:51 MST
From: Matt Birkholz <birkholz@primenet.com>
To: Debian Bugs <debian-bugs@pixar.com>

Package: dpkg
Version: 0.93.14

`dpkg --list' emits nothing unless I'm root -- not even a "Permission 
denied".
(An error message would be nicer than the silent treatment.  Why can't a
normal user get a list of the installede packages?)

Matt Birkholz
birkholz@midnight.com

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