lfs-book/chapter06/changingowner.xml

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<sect1 id="ch-system-changingowner">
<title>Changing Ownership</title>
<?dbhtml filename="changingowner.html"?>

<para>Currently, the <filename class="directory">/tools</filename>
directory is owned by the user <emphasis>lfs</emphasis>, a user that
exists only on the host system. Although the <filename
class="directory">/tools</filename> directory can be deleted once the
LFS system has been finished, it can be retained to build additional
LFS systems. If the <filename class="directory">/tools</filename>
directory is kept as is, the files are owned by a user ID without a
corresponding account. This is dangerous because a user account
created later could get this same user ID and would own the <filename
class="directory">/tools</filename> directory and all the files
therein, thus exposing these files to possible malicious
manipulation.</para>

<para>To avoid this issue, add the <emphasis>lfs</emphasis> user to
the new LFS system later when creating the
<filename>/etc/passwd</filename> file, taking care to assign it the
same user and group IDs as on the host system. Alternatively, assign
the contents of the <filename class="directory">/tools</filename>
directory to user <emphasis>root</emphasis> by running the following
command:</para>

<screen><userinput>chown -R 0:0 /tools</userinput></screen>

<para>The command uses <parameter>0:0</parameter> instead of
<parameter>root:root</parameter>, because <command>chown</command>
is unable to resolve the name <quote>root</quote> until the password
file has been created. This book assumes you ran this
<command>chown</command> command.</para>

</sect1>