Vote for new Ubuntu Feature---Let's try it again --- and without getting all religious about it

[Wulfy]

Peter Garrett wrote:
> As a *generalisation*, anything outside the user's $HOME directory is
> likely to require sudo / root privileges to alter. In my opinion that is
> as it should be. There has been quite a lot of discussion in this thread
> as to why allowing an application to raise its privileges is not a good
> idea, and since the system is not psychic, it cannot know your intentions
> when you open such a file. Offering to give privileges each time a
> non-writable file is opened would be ... unwise.
>
> Peter
>
>   
I'm trying to understand things here, so this may be a Dumb Question(tm)...

If the system *did* offer to give privileges, wouldn't that offer depend 
on a password and what was in the sudoers file?  As such, if the user 
didn't have permission to do that, the offer would be rescinded by the 
system, wouldn't it?  How would this constitute as security problem?  
All (or at least failed) attempts would be logged for the sysadmin's 
perusal.

-- 
Blessings

Wulfmann

Wulf Credo:
Respect the elders. Teach the young. Co-operate with the pack. 
Play when you can. Hunt when you must. Rest in between.
Share your affections. Voice your opinion. Leave your Mark.