ensure safe directory failing

ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

I see the following after installing w32 Emacs 23.3.1 and running it via
shortcut with target C:\Emacs\bin\runemacs.exe --debug-init:

 (error "The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe")
  signal(error ("The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe"))

In my ver 22.3 there was a file called server in this directory but
nothing in ver 23. Does any of you know what might be going on? What is
a race condition? What is server-ensure-safe-dir finding? If it matters
I have ALTERNATE_EDITOR=runemacs.exe "%1" also (with proper path)but I
can't add --debug-init in that context (environment variable).

Thanks,

Ed

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:44:57 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> 
> 
> I see the following after installing w32 Emacs 23.3.1 and running it via
> shortcut with target C:\Emacs\bin\runemacs.exe --debug-init:
> 
>  (error "The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe")
>   signal(error ("The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe"))
> 
> In my ver 22.3 there was a file called server in this directory but
> nothing in ver 23. Does any of you know what might be going on?

Are you logged in as Administrator on that machine?

> What is a race condition?

What race condition?  There's no "race condition" in the error message
you are quoting?

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:44:57 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>
>>
>> I see the following after installing w32 Emacs 23.3.1 and running it via
>> shortcut with target C:\Emacs\bin\runemacs.exe --debug-init:
>>
>>  (error "The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe")
>>   signal(error ("The directory `~/.emacs.d/server' is unsafe"))
>>
>> In my ver 22.3 there was a file called server in this directory but
>> nothing in ver 23. Does any of you know what might be going on?
> 
> Are you logged in as Administrator on that machine?

Essentially yes. No password to logon. Up until ver. 23 (server-start)
in .emacs worked with HOME=C:\emacs (i.e. everything at same level as
emacs/bin). Under DocumentsandSettings the owners of all the folders
seem to be Administrators, User, System and with all permissions
checked.  The owner under c:\emacs was always Everyone and all
permissions were checked.
I read the entire thread at
http://osdir.com/ml/help-emacs-windows-gnu/2011-03/
on this topic but I can't seem to make .emacs.d directory safe with any
combo of users and/or permissions. This is on a desktop with win2000. On
a laptop with xp and with home=c:\emacs it does work but all I see there
is that the directory is read only (i.e. right click properties or
Alt-Enter doesn't reveal anything about ownership).

> 
>> What is a race condition?
> 
> What race condition?  There's no "race condition" in the error message
> you are quoting?
> 

I think this is from the docstring in server.el I would like to not bury
home env. variable somewhere under DocumentsandSettings because I
frequently navigate around using dos window (command.com).

Thanks,

Ed

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:44:33 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> 
> > Are you logged in as Administrator on that machine?
> 
> Essentially yes. No password to logon. Up until ver. 23 (server-start)
> in .emacs worked with HOME=C:\emacs (i.e. everything at same level as
> emacs/bin). Under DocumentsandSettings the owners of all the folders
> seem to be Administrators, User, System and with all permissions
> checked.  The owner under c:\emacs was always Everyone and all
> permissions were checked.
> I read the entire thread at
> http://osdir.com/ml/help-emacs-windows-gnu/2011-03/
> on this topic but I can't seem to make .emacs.d directory safe with any
> combo of users and/or permissions. This is on a desktop with win2000. On
> a laptop with xp and with home=c:\emacs it does work but all I see there
> is that the directory is read only (i.e. right click properties or
> Alt-Enter doesn't reveal anything about ownership).

Can you try the patch to server.el below?

--- lisp/server.el	2011-01-02 23:50:46 +0000
+++ lisp/server.el	2011-03-11 12:19:08 +0000
@@ -474,7 +474,13 @@ See variable `server-auth-dir' for detai
 			      (file-name-as-directory dir))
 		      :warning)
 		     (throw :safe t))
-		   (unless (eql uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
+		   (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
+			       (and w32
+				    ;; Files created on Windows by
+				    ;; Administrator (RID=500) have
+				    ;; the Administrators (RID=544)
+				    ;; group recorded as the owner.
+				    (= uid 544) (= (user-uid) 500)))
 		     (throw :safe nil))
 		   (when w32                    ; on NTFS?
 		     (throw :safe t))

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:44:33 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>
>>> Are you logged in as Administrator on that machine?
>> Essentially yes. No password to logon. Up until ver. 23 (server-start)
>> in .emacs worked with HOME=C:\emacs (i.e. everything at same level as
>> emacs/bin). Under DocumentsandSettings the owners of all the folders
>> seem to be Administrators, User, System and with all permissions
>> checked.  The owner under c:\emacs was always Everyone and all
>> permissions were checked.
>> I read the entire thread at
>> http://osdir.com/ml/help-emacs-windows-gnu/2011-03/
>> on this topic but I can't seem to make .emacs.d directory safe with any
>> combo of users and/or permissions. This is on a desktop with win2000. On
>> a laptop with xp and with home=c:\emacs it does work but all I see there
>> is that the directory is read only (i.e. right click properties or
>> Alt-Enter doesn't reveal anything about ownership).
> 
> Can you try the patch to server.el below?
> 
> --- lisp/server.el	2011-01-02 23:50:46 +0000
> +++ lisp/server.el	2011-03-11 12:19:08 +0000
> @@ -474,7 +474,13 @@ See variable `server-auth-dir' for detai
>  			      (file-name-as-directory dir))
>  		      :warning)
>  		     (throw :safe t))
> -		   (unless (eql uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
> +		   (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
> +			       (and w32
> +				    ;; Files created on Windows by
> +				    ;; Administrator (RID=500) have
> +				    ;; the Administrators (RID=544)
> +				    ;; group recorded as the owner.
> +				    (= uid 544) (= (user-uid) 500)))
>  		     (throw :safe nil))
>  		   (when w32                    ; on NTFS?
>  		     (throw :safe t))
> 
> 

I think so. I don't have or don't understand the source code maintenance
tools but if I just delete lines 474-477 and add those starting with:
(unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
it should accomplish the same thing. I'll save the old server.el and
.elc and byte-compile the new one.

Thanks; I'll report back later.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:39:54 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> 
> > --- lisp/server.el	2011-01-02 23:50:46 +0000
> > +++ lisp/server.el	2011-03-11 12:19:08 +0000
> > @@ -474,7 +474,13 @@ See variable `server-auth-dir' for detai
> >  			      (file-name-as-directory dir))
> >  		      :warning)
> >  		     (throw :safe t))
> > -		   (unless (eql uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
> > +		   (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
> > +			       (and w32
> > +				    ;; Files created on Windows by
> > +				    ;; Administrator (RID=500) have
> > +				    ;; the Administrators (RID=544)
> > +				    ;; group recorded as the owner.
> > +				    (= uid 544) (= (user-uid) 500)))
> >  		     (throw :safe nil))
> >  		   (when w32                    ; on NTFS?
> >  		     (throw :safe t))
> > 
> > 
> 
> I think so. I don't have or don't understand the source code maintenance
> tools

If you have a ported patch.exe, I can tell you the exact command to
invoke it, after you save the patch to a file.

> if I just delete lines 474-477 and add those starting with:
> (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
> it should accomplish the same thing.

No.  You should delete the line prefixed with "-" and then add all the
lines prefixed with "+".  Then byte-compile the modified server.el,
restart Emacs, and see if the problem is gone.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:39:54 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>
>>> --- lisp/server.el	2011-01-02 23:50:46 +0000
>>> +++ lisp/server.el	2011-03-11 12:19:08 +0000
>>> @@ -474,7 +474,13 @@ See variable `server-auth-dir' for detai
>>>  			      (file-name-as-directory dir))
>>>  		      :warning)
>>>  		     (throw :safe t))
>>> -		   (unless (eql uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
>>> +		   (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
>>> +			       (and w32
>>> +				    ;; Files created on Windows by
>>> +				    ;; Administrator (RID=500) have
>>> +				    ;; the Administrators (RID=544)
>>> +				    ;; group recorded as the owner.
>>> +				    (= uid 544) (= (user-uid) 500)))
>>>  		     (throw :safe nil))
>>>  		   (when w32                    ; on NTFS?
>>>  		     (throw :safe t))
>>>
>>>
>> I think so. I don't have or don't understand the source code maintenance
>> tools
> 
> If you have a ported patch.exe, I can tell you the exact command to
> invoke it, after you save the patch to a file.
> 
>> if I just delete lines 474-477 and add those starting with:
>> (unless (or (= uid (user-uid)) ; is the dir ours?
>> it should accomplish the same thing.
> 
> No.  You should delete the line prefixed with "-" and then add all the
> lines prefixed with "+".  Then byte-compile the modified server.el,
> restart Emacs, and see if the problem is gone.
> 

Okay, I made the patch and changed owners on c:\emacs\.emacs.d and
c:\emacs\.emacs.d\server to Administrator and Administrators but still
get error. The permissions for both are full control. At c:\ and
c:\emacs the owners are these same two plus my username. Most of the
directories are this way except for in Program-Files and WinNT dirs
which also have SYSTEM as owner. Would it be worth while to change the
patch to 500 OR 544 instead of AND? Btw, why is it uid 544 and then
user-uid 500? Or even not checking for safe directory? Also my username
id is a member of Administrators and has full control almost everywhere
that Administrator has.

???

Remember this is on win2000 Professional not XP although it is ntfs file
system.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:36:01 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
> 
> Okay, I made the patch and changed owners on c:\emacs\.emacs.d and
> c:\emacs\.emacs.d\server to Administrator and Administrators but still
> get error.

Trivia first: did you byte compile the patched server.el?  Did you
restart Emacs after that?

If the answer is YES to both, then please type the two commands below
and show the results:

  M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET
  M-: (user-uid) RET

> Would it be worth while to change the patch to 500 OR 544 instead of
> AND?

No.  The code checks for the situation where the user is
Administrator, whereas the directory where the server file is about to
be created is owned by the Administrators group.

Btw, does your HOME variable point to C:/emacs?  If not, why does
Emacs create the server file in C:/emacs/.emacs.d?

> Btw, why is it uid 544 and then user-uid 500?

These are the IDs of Administrators and Administrator, respectively.

> Or even not checking for safe directory?

That would be against the intent of server.el, which wants to assure
that no one but yourself can access the server file.

> Also my username id is a member of Administrators and has full
> control almost everywhere that Administrator has.

This not about control, this is about security.

> Remember this is on win2000 Professional not XP although it is ntfs file
> system.

I don't think there's a difference, but the 2 commands above should
tell where I'm wrong.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:36:01 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
>>
>> Okay, I made the patch and changed owners on c:\emacs\.emacs.d and
>> c:\emacs\.emacs.d\server to Administrator and Administrators but still
>> get error.
> 
> Trivia first: did you byte compile the patched server.el?  Did you
> restart Emacs after that?

Yes. Same Backtrace.

> 
> If the answer is YES to both, then please type the two commands below
> and show the results:
> 
>   M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET

void function

>   M-: (user-uid) RET

1000 (#o1750, #x3e8)


> 
>> Would it be worth while to change the patch to 500 OR 544 instead of
>> AND?
> 
> No.  The code checks for the situation where the user is
> Administrator, whereas the directory where the server file is about to
> be created is owned by the Administrators group.
> 
> Btw, does your HOME variable point to C:/emacs?  If not, why does
> Emacs create the server file in C:/emacs/.emacs.d?

Yes, HOME=c:\emacs.

> 
>> Btw, why is it uid 544 and then user-uid 500?
> 
> These are the IDs of Administrators and Administrator, respectively.
> 
>> Or even not checking for safe directory?
> 
> That would be against the intent of server.el, which wants to assure
> that no one but yourself can access the server file.
> 
>> Also my username id is a member of Administrators and has full
>> control almost everywhere that Administrator has.
> 
> This not about control, this is about security.
> 
>> Remember this is on win2000 Professional not XP although it is ntfs file
>> system.
> 
> I don't think there's a difference, but the 2 commands above should
> tell where I'm wrong.
> 

If commenting out (server-start) all 25k of .emacs loads with no
complaint. If I move (server-start) from the beginning of .emacs to the
end of course most of .emacs is evaluated but the frame creation is
screwed up (one frame for a proportionally spaced font (Arial) and one
to view calendar and other things that need a fixed width font. But that
is probably an unrelated issue.


Ed

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

See below. I must have done something wrong. C-h f showed
file-attributes so I redid.

B. T. Raven wrote:
> Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>>> Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:36:01 -0500
>>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
>>>
>>> Okay, I made the patch and changed owners on c:\emacs\.emacs.d and
>>> c:\emacs\.emacs.d\server to Administrator and Administrators but still
>>> get error.
>> Trivia first: did you byte compile the patched server.el?  Did you
>> restart Emacs after that?
> 
> Yes. Same Backtrace.
> 
>> If the answer is YES to both, then please type the two commands below
>> and show the results:
>>
>>   M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET

(t 1 544 513 (19846 9844) (19845 18237) (19843 65123) 0 "drwxrwxrwx" nil
(4608 1 . 53735) (55444 . 23564))

Not void function, as I thought.


> 
> void function
> 
>>   M-: (user-uid) RET
> 
> 1000 (#o1750, #x3e8)
> 
> 
>>> Would it be worth while to change the patch to 500 OR 544 instead of
>>> AND?
>> No.  The code checks for the situation where the user is
>> Administrator, whereas the directory where the server file is about to
>> be created is owned by the Administrators group.
>>
>> Btw, does your HOME variable point to C:/emacs?  If not, why does
>> Emacs create the server file in C:/emacs/.emacs.d?
> 
> Yes, HOME=c:\emacs.
> 
>>> Btw, why is it uid 544 and then user-uid 500?
>> These are the IDs of Administrators and Administrator, respectively.
>>
>>> Or even not checking for safe directory?
>> That would be against the intent of server.el, which wants to assure
>> that no one but yourself can access the server file.
>>
>>> Also my username id is a member of Administrators and has full
>>> control almost everywhere that Administrator has.
>> This not about control, this is about security.
>>
>>> Remember this is on win2000 Professional not XP although it is ntfs file
>>> system.
>> I don't think there's a difference, but the 2 commands above should
>> tell where I'm wrong.
>>
> 
> If commenting out (server-start) all 25k of .emacs loads with no
> complaint. If I move (server-start) from the beginning of .emacs to the
> end of course most of .emacs is evaluated but the frame creation is
> screwed up (one frame for a proportionally spaced font (Arial) and one
> to view calendar and other things that need a fixed width font. But that
> is probably an unrelated issue.
> 
> 
> Ed
> 

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 11:30:06 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> 
> >>   M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET
> 
> (t 1 544 513 (19846 9844) (19845 18237) (19843 65123) 0 "drwxrwxrwx" nil
> (4608 1 . 53735) (55444 . 23564))
> 
> Not void function, as I thought.
> 
> 
> > 
> > void function
> > 
> >>   M-: (user-uid) RET
> > 
> > 1000 (#o1750, #x3e8)

Then this is not the case which the patch was supposed to solve.

What you need to do is this:

 . exit Emacs

 . rename the c:\emacs\.emacs.d directory

 . start Emacs with "emacs -Q"

 . exit Emacs

This should create c:\emacs\.emacs.d with the right credentials.  You
should be able to see that with the same command as before:

 M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET

It should now show 1000, which is your Windows user ID, instead of
544, as the 3rd member of the list it displays.  If this succeeds, you
can invoke Emacs as usual, and the server should start without the
warning.  If you have something important in the old .emacs.d, you can
now copy it to the new .emacs.d.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 11:30:06 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>
>>>>   M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET
>> (t 1 544 513 (19846 9844) (19845 18237) (19843 65123) 0 "drwxrwxrwx" nil
>> (4608 1 . 53735) (55444 . 23564))
>>
>> Not void function, as I thought.
>>
>>
>>> void function
>>>
>>>>   M-: (user-uid) RET
>>> 1000 (#o1750, #x3e8)
> 
> Then this is not the case which the patch was supposed to solve.
> 
> What you need to do is this:
> 
>  . exit Emacs
> 
>  . rename the c:\emacs\.emacs.d directory
> 
>  . start Emacs with "emacs -Q"
> 
>  . exit Emacs
> 
> This should create c:\emacs\.emacs.d with the right credentials.  You
> should be able to see that with the same command as before:
> 
>  M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET

After carrying out above instructions it now shows:

(t 1 544 513 (19846 19183) (19846 19183) (19846 19063) 0 "drwxrwxrwx"
nil (8192 1 . 57574) (55444 . 23564))


and same Backtrace.

???

I notice that there is a folder for an orphaned user (I think)under
DocumentsandSettings last touched in july 2008. This username doesn't
appear anywhere in CtlPanel > Admin > Users. Maybe it's in the registry
somewhere. Anyway it hasn't caused any problems.





> 
> It should now show 1000, which is your Windows user ID, instead of
> 544, as the 3rd member of the list it displays.  If this succeeds, you
> can invoke Emacs as usual, and the server should start without the
> warning.  If you have something important in the old .emacs.d, you can
> now copy it to the new .emacs.d.
> 

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:06:11 -0500
> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
> 
> >  M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET
> 
> After carrying out above instructions it now shows:
> 
> (t 1 544 513 (19846 19183) (19846 19183) (19846 19063) 0 "drwxrwxrwx"
> nil (8192 1 . 57574) (55444 . 23564))
> 
> 
> and same Backtrace.
> 
> ???

You need to fix the owner of the directory.  Or just remove the part
in server.el which makes that test.

Re: ensure safe directory failing

[B. T. Raven]

Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:06:11 -0500
>> From: "B. T. Raven" <nihil@nihilo.net>
>>
>>>  M-: (file-attributes "c:/emacs/.emacs.d" 'integer) RET
>> After carrying out above instructions it now shows:
>>
>> (t 1 544 513 (19846 19183) (19846 19183) (19846 19063) 0 "drwxrwxrwx"
>> nil (8192 1 . 57574) (55444 . 23564))
>>
>>
>> and same Backtrace.
>>
>> ???
> 
> You need to fix the owner of the directory.  Or just remove the part
> in server.el which makes that test.
> 

Okay, thanks Eli. For now I'll just comment out (server-start) in .emacs
until I can straighten out the ownership problem.