Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: News item: xorg-server dropping default suid

[Philip Webb]

200621 Piotr Karbowski wrote:
> Title: xorg-server dropping default suid
...
> The Gentoo X11 Team is announcing that starting with 15th of July,
> the x11-base/xorg-server will no longer default to suid
> and will default to using logind interface instead.  This change
> makes xorg-server run as regular user rather than root by default,
> however those who do not have any logind interface provider
> -- either systemd or elogind -- will need to enable either
> to make it possible to run X session as unprivileged user.
> No action is required from systemd and desktop profile users,
> since systemd provides logind interface
> and desktop profile already enables 'elogind' USE flag globally.
> Rest of the non-systemd users is required to globally enable
> 'elogind' USE flag and apply it by 'emerge --newuse @world',
> after which, re-login is required so that PAM can allocate seat.
> One can confirm that a seat has been assigned upon login by running:
>     $ loginctl user-status
> Those who for whatever reason want to preserve current state,
> while heavily discouraged,
> can still use x11-base/xorg-server with 'suid -elogind'.

Gentoo Wiki says :

  elogind is the systemd project's logind, extracted to a standalone package.
  It's designed for users who prefer a non-systemd init system,
  but still want to use popular software such as KDE/Wayland or GNOME
  that otherwise hard-depends on systemd. 

  startx integration : To have an elogind session created
  when using startx to start the X server (instead of a display manager),
  add the following to the user's ~/.xinitrc file : FILE ~/.xinitrc
   exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session <WINDOW_MANAGER>
  WINDOW_MANAGER in the above example needs to be replaced
  by a window manager or a single application. 

I want to use 'startx' to start X , because I don't want to be trapped
if some problem arises with X or KDE or the login manager
& I need to change config files or remerge pkgs (etc) to rescue myself.
With 'startx' I can do all that work from raw TTYs with no problems,
as I am not forced to go into an X session if I don't want to.

I don't want to use 'systemd', as I want to run a traditional UNIX version
of Linux + KDE (or Fluxbox) for a simple single-user desktop system.

Why is running 'xorg-server' as root "heavily discouraged" ?
-- I've been doing that with Gentoo for  > 16 yr  without any problems.
AFAIK there are no problems re exploits via I/net browsers,
which are started by my user as all such user software always is.
What might go wrong, if I continue to 'startx'
with 'xorg-server' merged with 'suid -elogind'
& without the '.xinitrc' line show above in the Wiki ?

Are there any other Gentoo users who have the same preferences as me ?

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