Why to unpack as user and not as root?

Saturation · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 65

I like to know why people recommend to unpack tarballs as user instead of unpacking them as root.

I am also wondering if I should unpack the kernel tarball from kernel.org as user or as root.

So what is the advantage and what user should I be when I am going to unpack the kernel tarball?

Thanks
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toddg · n00b Joined: 08 Apr 2003 Posts: 11 Location: Harrisburg PA

If you unpack a tarball as root, most of the time everything in the tarball has root permissions, so you'd have to chmod things so they could be run as a regular user. Not untarring them as root also encourages good security practice of not running things as root --- particularly questionable binaries. In fact, I tend to compile things as a regular user and only make install as root.

As for the kernel question... it doesn't matter too much, but I would stick with untarring as a regular user and doing everything but the actual bzImage install/modules install as a regular user.

hope that helps.

Saturation · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 65

Thanks for the info toddg.

I have one more question. I am setting up a server and I have some packages that I am going to compile, but I don't want that an hacker sees the directories of these packages in my home directory when he get's access to the user account.
So I am thinking of creating them in a directory a normal user can't access. What would be the most secure? Should I unpack them in my home directory as a normal user whereafter I copy them to that unaccessible directory, or should I unpack them in that unaccessible directory as root?
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Saturation · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 65

Please?
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PowerFactor · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 11:16 pm Post subject:

Well, I would unpack and compile as the normal user. Then after instalation delete the source tree or move it to the non-user-accessible location.

Though if a cracker manages to gain access to your user account you arent going to stop him from seeing what you've installed just by getting rid of the source trees.

Saturation · n00b Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 65

Thanks PowerFactor.
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