Permissions

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 06:53 AM

Hey everyone, am logged in as one of the admins in a database yet I cannot not go to /etc/yum.conf
Every time I try, it says permission denied.

What am I missing out? Kindly assist.

pan64 · 05-28-2015, 06:55 AM

usually those files (/etc/*.conf) can only be edited by root, noone else.

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 06:59 AM

pan64, thank you.
I actually changed to root...su root...but still cannot view.

jpollard · 05-28-2015, 07:05 AM

try "su -" to root.

You didn't say what system you are on, but those using SELinux recognize the difference between the real UID and effective UID. For normal DAC access, the effective UID is sufficient. But with SELinux active you also have to have the appropriate security label.

pan64 · 05-28-2015, 07:05 AM

what will respond: ls -l /etc/yum.conf ?

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 07:09 AM

Still the same thing...permission denied.

veerain · 05-28-2015, 07:09 AM

what are parent directories and files permissions of those concerned files.

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 07:16 AM

Am on centOs, the home directory is /etc/

jpollard · 05-28-2015, 07:41 AM

You need the security labels. Use "su -" to go to root on CentOS.

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 07:55 AM

[me@my_DB1 ~]$ su -
Password:
[root@my_DB1 ~]# /etc/resolv.conf
-bash: /etc/resolv.conf: Permission denied
[root@my_DB1 ~]#

This is what I get. Am stuck

TB0ne · 05-28-2015, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daughty

[me@my_DB1 ~]$ su -
Password:
[root@my_DB1 ~]# /etc/resolv.conf
-bash: /etc/resolv.conf: Permission denied
[root@my_DB1 ~]#

This is what I get. Am stuck

...and you're stuck because you're not trying to VIEW that file, you're trying to EXECUTE IT. It's a text file, not a program. Try running "cat /etc/resolv.conf", to display it to the screen, or "<whatever editor you want> /etc/resolv.conf" to edit the file.

Be aware that if you don't know how to view a text file, you probably shouldn't be editing system files, unless you are SURE you have backups, and are SURE of what you're doing.

Daughty · 05-28-2015, 08:07 AM

TB0ne, thank you. What I have pasted here is from the command I ran. ..and yes, I want to edit the text file so how do I find my way there? I actually did "/etc/resolv.conf" as you put it but its not displaying the content....cat /etc/resolv.conf only gives me the nameserver, that is not what I want. I want the text file so that I be able to edit it. Yes I have been authorized to so.

pan64 · 05-28-2015, 08:11 AM

you need to use an editor. Either on the GUI in that case I suggest gedit or in console. In that case you can try vi, mcedit, nano or any other (which is available)

resolv.conf usually contains only the nameserver, so that was the whole content. cat printed everything.

jpollard · 05-28-2015, 08:13 AM

BTW, since you are on CentOS, you don't want to edit the /etc/resolv.conf file.

It gets overwritten by NetworkManager on boot... and the contents are specified elsewhere, and in a different form (the network configuration files...)

pan64 · 05-28-2015, 08:18 AM

originally that was yum.conf. I do not know how it was changed...