sharing programs
 

Hi
I'm trying to set up user access to CURL on a RedHat server(configured by someone else who cant provide any support!), the root user has access to run CURL but the other users do not.

CURL has been installed to /usr/bin/curl

but the user that I want to run it as, has no access to run programs in that folder.

My assumption is that I can create a symbolic link to it in a users executables folder and they will have access to it, but things are never that simpler, or are they?

Should something like

ln -s /usr/bin/curl /home/virtual/userdir/fst/bin/curl

work?

Many thanks in advance for any replies

well things are normally simpler.... just change the access rights to curl. any user should normally be able to run anything in /usr/bin, one of the most common places for apps to be installed to. "chmod a+x /usr/bin/curl" should be all you need.

To give access to a specific folder to a user, simply add the execution bit to that folder, and ensure it's in their $PATH. So, the folder is /usr/bin:
chmod 755 /usr/bin (as root)
And then as the user:
echo $PATH
And see if that folder is in their path. If not add it. How? It seems to be different for everyone on everyone distro, run a search, it's mentioned many many times.

Cool

not matching directory listings
 

Hi
thanks for the replies,
files in the /usr/bin directory can be executed by all users.

However it doesnt seem to be a permissions issue, I'm getting differing file listings from that directory depending on which user I am, files which I've chmod-ed 777 as root dont show up from other users consoles.

eg.

------ROOT listing---------
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Feb 5 16:17 awk -> ../../bin/gawk
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 2 Feb 5 16:17 atrm -> at
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 2 Feb 5 16:17 atq -> at
-rwsr-xr-x 1 root root 37528 Jan 17 2002 at
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 227116 Aug 31 2001 as
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 37900 Aug 31 2001 ar
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2187 Aug 31 2001 apropos
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 300908 Apr 15 2002 analog
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 64236 Aug 31 2001 addr2line
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 17640 Jan 7 2002 addftinfo


------------USER listing ---------
-rws--x--x 3 root root 13164 Aug 7 2002 chfn
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Feb 6 12:39 awk -> ../../bin/gawk
-rwxr-xr-x 2 root root 300908 May 24 2002 analog

I'm sure that this shows my ignorance some UNIX convention,

many thanks to anyone who can point me in the right direction.

more info
 

seems that when I do a directory listing of
/usr/bin
from non-root users console
the machine actually lists
/home/virtual/usersdirectory/fst/usr/bin

which makes a certain kind of sense, but still adding a symbolic link into that folder still doesnt grant access to the program....

any suggestions?

If it's a simple binary program, no extra libs needed (or maybe your virtual /usr/bin directory points to the actual lib directory) just copy the program over instead of linking it, that or hard link it.

And as far as the machine listing /home/virtual/usersdirectory/fst/usr/bin instead of the actual /usr/bin folder is odd to me. Why is it setup like that? Does this user not have acess to any folders below their own home directory, meaning they are in a chroot jail?

Cool

Many thanks for everyones help,

Once I'd hardlinked the binary and its library files to the user's bin & lib folders
found in

/home/virtual/username/fst/usr/lib/
/home/virtual/username/fst/bin/

the program became executable.

This is apparently a RedHat machine. Hopefully this will help others out - machine supplied from
www.oneandone.com
with no documentation (great host support hey!?)

thanks again