running speech-dispatcher as non-root using setuid on XO and accompanying security issues

[Hynek Hanke]

Jan Buchal napsal(a):
>     HG> Hi, What is the need for speech-dispatcher to run as root? Is it
>     HG> possible to run it as non-root? We need to modify the
>     HG> speechd.conf files from a non-root program and as such run the
>     HG> speech-dispatcher daemon with non-root privileges.
> Sure. SD can runs as root or as any other user which has access on
> audio. Every user has own configuration in .speech-dispatcher directory
> or if there no, then it search in /etc/speech-dispatcher
>   
Hello,

the various ways of running Speech Dispatcher are
described in
http://www.freebsoft.org/doc/speechd/speech-dispatcher_9.html#SEC22

Even when running as a system-wide service, it is recommended
not to run Speech Dispatcher under root, but under some special
user like 'speech-dispatcher' who has only access to the appropriate
log/config/pid destinations and to the audio hardware for the security
reasons mentioned above. I think the Debian package for Speech
Dispatcher is a good example.

With regards,
Hynek Hanke