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Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:06:16 -0500
Message-ID: <CA+czFiCQNSHWHYzJqdy2KkAkLOotuAXO+=2UeRx2X=AAhC4-Ug@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Allow non root users to edit files owned by root?
From: Michael Mol <mikemol@gmail.com>
To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
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On Tue, Dec 20, 2011 at 11:51 AM, Tanstaafl <tanstaafl@libertytrek.org> wrote:
> On 2011-12-20 10:13 AM, Michael Mol <mikemol@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> So, incidentally, would 'sudo passwd root'...
>
>
> Ouch... any way to avoid that?
>
> I guess the best way would be to simply give them access to the commands
> they need...
>
> I'll look into that...

The best way would probably be to work with UNIX privileges or ACLs.
You've got a file you want people other than root to be able to edit.

groupadd $SPECIALGROUP
usermod -a -G $SPECIALGROUP $THEIRUSERNAME
chown :$SPECIALGROUP $FILENAME
chmod g+w $FILENAME

(You might want to chmod g-x $FILENAME, too, just for safety's sake.)

-- 
:wq