SIMH & root

From: David Holland <dholland_at_woh.rr.com>
Date: Wed Sep 1 22:06:16 2004

Speaking of SIMH..

SIMH requires root privileges to do its networking (at least on most of
its unix host OS's), understandably, but I'm not happy with it...

So I've hacked up some code changes that'll let me change the UID/GID &
chroot() SIMH is running on from the SIMH console.

The idea is..

attach (network devs)
attach (other root owned devs)
set priv root=/some/chroot/jail gid=-1 uid=-1
(continue configuring)

Anyways, my question is, does anyone else think this would even vaguely
be useful?

If so, I'll mail the patches into Bob Supnik, if not, I'll not waste my
(or anyone elses) time. I figure there out to be at least one or two
other SIMH users on this list. :)

The "why" of it all.. I may have need of putting up a internet facing
VAX/VMS "box" in the near future, and not wanting the heat & power
issues of real hardware (yes, its hot in my "computer closet" :-( ) I
thought a virtual VAX on my Linux firewall would do.

I'm less concerned about the 'VAX' being hacked than I am about the
firewall. (Yes, I know theoretically, its impossible for the SIMH
environment to affect the firewall host OS directly, save possibly via
networking, but I'm also paranoid. :-> )

/me slinks back under his rock, and awaits the snickering..

David
Received on Wed Sep 01 2004 - 22:06:16 BST