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########
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Security
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########
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The authors of this library tried their best to make sure that nothing bad happens, but they are only human. Thus:
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.. warning:: Use this library at your own risk.
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Running as root
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***************
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The library goes to great length to make sure everything passed to the operating system is safe. Due to the nature of
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operating systems, many tasks can only be carried out with elevated privileges, commonly running with the privileges
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of the user ``root``. This means that care must be taken when using it with elevated privileges!
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Thankfully, ZFS allows to delegate permission to some extend, allowing a user or a group on the local system to carry
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out administrative tasks. One exception is mounting, which is handled in the next paragraph.
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It is suggested to take a look at the ``zfs(8)`` manpage, especially the part that covers ``zfs allow``.
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.. _the_mount_problem:
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The mount problem
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*****************
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On Linux, only root is allowed to manipulate the global namespace. This means that no amount of ``zfs allow`` will
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allow any other user to mount a fileset. They can be created with the ``mountpoint`` property set, but can't be
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mounted. One workaround is to specify ``legacy``, and using ``/etc/fstab`` to mount it, the other is to install and use
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a special privilege escalation (PE) helper.
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Elevated privileges are required for the following tasks:
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* ``mount`` or ``unmount`` a fileset without the use of ``/etc/fstab`` and ``legacy`` mountpoints
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* set or change the ``mountpoint`` property, which results in changing the mountpoint
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* ZPool ``import`` or ``export``
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Whether the helper is installed **setuid root** or uses **sudo** internally or any other way is up to the user. An
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example helper script is provided that will allow creating and moving filesets in a subtree of the ZFS hierarchy and
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local filesystem hierarchy.
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.. note::
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The helper is provided as an example, use at your own risk.
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PE Helper protocol
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******************
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The PE helper will be called with different sets of parameters, depending on the action to perform. Its exit code
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communicates the basic problem or success and output is captured and fed to the logger.
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Calling convention
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==================
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The `first` parameter denotes the ``action``, followed by one or two parameters:
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* ``create`` is used when creating a fileset. It receives the ``fileset`` name, and the ``mountpoint``. The PE helper
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should then issue the equivalent to ``zfs create -o mountpoint=$mountpoint $fileset``.
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* ``set_mountpoint`` sets or changes the mountpoint property of filesets, which usually results in remounting to the
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new location. It receives the ``fileset`` name and the new ``mountpoint``.
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* ``import``/``export`` imports or exports a pool. It takes a ``pool`` name as parameter.
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Reporting
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=========
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If all went well, the helper shall return ``0`` as exit code. Otherwise, the exit code denotes the nature of the
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problem. Text output to stdout/stderr is captured and logged as info (if the exit code is ``0``) or error (otherwise).
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The logger is either called ``simplezfs.zfs.pe_helper`` or ``simplezfs.zpool.pe_helper``, depending on the usage.
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