[K12OSN] Fl_Teachertool Distribute File Problem

[John Lucas]

Nick Fenger wrote:
> Robert,
> 
> Per your questions:
> 
> I do have visudo per the docs and all of the other teachertool features work
> for non-roots. 
> 
> As far as accessing homes is concerned, it is not only a teachertool
> problem. When I log directly into the k12ltsp server (i.e. start a Gnome
> session) and open File Browser I can see all of the mounted home directory
> names but I cannot list or access the files. It is as if root on my local
> box is not really acting as root? 
> 

You don't state how the home directories are mounted (NFS or SMB) from 
the LDAP/file server. Could the home directories be NFS mounted with the 
"root_squash" export directive? Alternatively if SMB is in use, what 
rights has Samba  given the user "root" on others home shares? I suspect 
that while "root"  is really the superuser on your LTSP server, that it 
doesn't appear that way on the file server and that you may need to 
adjust ownership/permissions  to fix the situation.

> 
> Does the teachertool distribute feature need root access to homes even if
> you are running is as a non-root user? (see below for clarification of my
> problem).
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> -Nick
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf
> Of Robert Arkiletian
> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 11:06 PM
> To: Support list for open source software in schools.
> Subject: Re: [K12OSN] Fl_Teachertool Distribute File Problem
> 
> 2008/3/3 Nick Fenger <nick at trilliumcharterschool.org>:
>> Hello K12OSNers,
>>
>> I am getting the following errors when using the Distribute Function in
>> Teacher Tool (Fl_Teachertool version 0.41) on a K12LTSP 6.0 box w/
> seperate
>> PDC/LDAP box.
>>
>> cp: cannot stat `/home/oceans/test.txt': Permission denied
>> cp: cannot stat `/home/alekst/test.txt': Permission denied
>>
>> I get the error when non-root users to run teachertool and when I am
> running
>> it logged in under root. I'm not sure if this is important, but, the root
> on
> 
> fl_teachertool will not work properly for non root users. You have to
> setup visudo for teachers as described here
> http://www3.telus.net/public/robark/Fl_TeacherTool/installationk12ltsp.html#
> sudo
> 
> Also if you run it as root make sure you become root like this
> su -
> not just
> su
> 
>> the terminal server can only list the home directories but not access or
>> change the files. We have a separate PDC/LDAP server where the home
>> directories are kept. I am not entirely sure why I cannot read/write
> student
>> directories under root, this happened when I had the LDAP server rebuilt
>> last year (it used to work).
> 
> Are you talking about specifically with fl_teachertool or in general?
> I don't have LDAP experience maybe someone else can help here.
> 
>> I am thinking that I need to somehow give users in the Teacher's Group
>> access to the directories of the students (or at least a directory on
> their
>> desktop)? Is this something I need to configure on the LDAP server (like
>> permissions or group membership) - OR - Do I need to configure every user
> to
>> accept the files (is there a script that does this?)
> 
> Are you wanting teachers to access student homes so they can mark
> stuff? If that's the case, I would recommend handin folders where
> students (others) only have write and execute permission with the
> sticky bit set but the teacher has full access.
> 
>> Any help would be greatly appreciated, i've got everything else in the
> tool
>> working (even did the recomple of vncreflector.) - I LOVE this program, it
>> has changed the way I teach!
> 
> Glad to hear it. I enjoy using it too.
> 


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         "History doesn't repeat itself; at best it rhymes."
                         - Mark Twain

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