[Bug 1020115] Re: Spawned commands can't use pkexec

[Michael Terry]

** Package changed: unity (Ubuntu) => update-manager (Ubuntu)

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Medium => High

** Project changed: unity => update-manager

** Changed in: update-manager
    Milestone: 6.0 => None

** Summary changed:

- Spawned commands can't use pkexec
+ Partial and release upgrade buttons don't work

** Changed in: update-manager (Ubuntu)
     Assignee: (unassigned) => Michael Terry (mterry)

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Title:
  Partial and release upgrade buttons don't work

Status in Software Updater:
  Triaged
Status in “update-manager” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Commands spawned from unity (from the Dash, from Alt+F2, from
  indicators) can't use pkexec.

  To reproduce:

  1) Download attached test-getppid.py and put it in /usr/bin and chmod +x it
  2) Press Alt+F2
  3) Type in test-getppid.py and press Enter
  4) Click the button
  5) A pkexec dialog should pop up, trying to run gcalctool

  When you try this script from a Terminal, it works fine.

  Impact:

  The Desktop team is porting uses of gksu over to pkexec.  For example,
  in Software Updater, the partial upgrade and release upgrade buttons
  now use pkexec.  They will be broken in quantal unless this bug is
  fixed (or they are reverted to gksu to work around this).

  Analysis:

  The problem appears to be that getppid() returns 1.  And pkexec has
  the following code:

    /* Figure out the parent process */
    pid_of_caller = getppid ();
    if (pid_of_caller == 1)
      {
        /* getppid() can return 1 if the parent died (meaning that we are reaped
         * by /sbin/init); In that case we simpy bail.
         */
        g_printerr ("Refusing to render service to dead parents.\n");
        goto out;
      }

  I'm assuming that getppid() returning 1 is at fault here, not the
  pkexec code, so I filed this against unity.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: unity 5.12-0ubuntu3
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-2.2-generic 3.5.0-rc4
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-2-generic i686
  ApportVersion: 2.2.5-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: i386
  CheckboxSubmission: 9a284f3f6b4f7829abbe27ad9573a709
  CheckboxSystem: 3935143777c965daaa64b51f0134f712
  Date: Mon Jul  2 09:58:25 2012
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110422)
  SourcePackage: unity
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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