Yo Miroslav!

On Tue, 8 Jul 2025 08:55:21 +0200
Miroslav Lichvar <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, Jul 07, 2025 at 11:36:10AM -0700, Gary E. Miller wrote:
> > Miroslav Lichvar <[email protected]> wrote:  
> > > A less-hacky way would be to let systemd create that socket and
> > > pass it to ntpd-rs (indicated in the LISTEN_FDS variable). See  
> > 
> > Or, how about using the existing GPSD-JSON method.  No changes
> > need to gpsd, chronyd, systemdumb, ntpd, etc.  Been in use for this
> > task maybe a decade.  Connecting to it in rust is almost trivial,
> > and supports their silly idea of "security".  
> 
> The gpsd Unix domain socket is not accessible to ntpd-rs as it's not
> supposed to be running/started under root (i.e. it already relies on
> systemd to get the capabilities needed to adjust the clock and bind to
> a privileged port).

I did not mention the unix domain socket.  But another reason not to
like systemdumb.

> ntpd-rs could connect to the TCP port 2947, but that has the same
> security issue as SHM.

That is what I was thinking of.  But I can't imagine how they have
remotely similar security issues.  The SHM has traditional UGO
permissions.  2947, has none.


> It wouldn't really know if it is the system
> gpsd, or something else that managed to grab the port before gpsd
> could start, or when it was being restarted, and could possibly be
> feeding the client bogus data.

Yes, the arguments for the current approacehs.

> I think the best solution would be to add support for dropping root
> privileges to ntpd-rs, but I can see why some people want to avoid
> that.

We (gpsd) have no control over what ntpd-rs does.  But I agree, they
should start as root, then drop pviviledges.

Sadly, they do not appear to be participating here.

RGDS
GARY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary E. Miller Rellim 109 NW Wilmington Ave., Suite E, Bend, OR 97703
        [email protected]  Tel:+1 541 382 8588

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    "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." - Lord Kelvin

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