Debian bug report logs - #1660, boring messages

Subject: Bug#1660: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses
Reply-To: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>, debian-bugs@pixar.com
Resent-From: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
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From: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Message-Id: <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
To: debian-bugs@pixar.com
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 21:57:39 +0100 (MET)
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Package: netbase
Version: 1.17-1

On several other systems I can use ping with a broadcast address to see
what machines on the local network are up and running.  This doesn't
work on Linux - I get "sendto: Permission denied".  It is necessary to
set the SO_BROADCAST socket option for this to work.  Similar change
would probably be nice for fping too.

While we are at it, can we make ping, traceroute (and maybe some other
setuid programs which can run for a long time and need root privileges
only at startup), drop root privileges when no longer needed?  Just do
setuid(getuid()) - the advantage is that ps shows who is running ping.

The patch for ping, with both of the above changes, follows.

Marek

diff -urN ping-5.9.orig/ping.c ping-5.9/ping.c
--- ping-5.9.orig/ping.c	Sat Jan 14 01:24:01 1995
+++ ping-5.9/ping.c	Sat Oct  7 01:12:08 1995
@@ -333,6 +333,8 @@
 	if (options & F_SO_DONTROUTE)
 		(void)setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_DONTROUTE, (char *)&hold,
 		    sizeof(hold));
+	/* this is necessary for broadcast addresses to work */
+	setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_BROADCAST, (char *)&hold, sizeof(hold));

 	/* record route option */
 	if (options & F_RROUTE) {
@@ -385,6 +387,8 @@
 		}
 	}
 #endif
+	/* just in case, and to make ps show who is running ping */
+	setuid(getuid());

 	if (to->sin_family == AF_INET)
 		(void)printf("PING %s (%s): %d data bytes\n", hostname,

From: iwj10@thor.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Subject: Bug#1660: Acknowledgement (was: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses)
In-Reply-To: <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
References: <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>

Thank you for the problem report you have sent regarding Debian GNU/Linux.
This is an automatically generated reply, to let you know your message has
been received.  It is being forwarded to the developers' mailing list for
their attention; they will reply in due course.

If you wish to submit further information on your problem, please send
it to debian-bugs@pixar.com, but please ensure that the Subject
line of your message starts with "Bug#1660" or "Re: Bug#1660" so that
we can identify it as relating to the same problem.

Please do not reply to the address at the top of this message,
unless you wish to report a problem with the bug-tracking system.

Ian Jackson
(maintainer, debian-bugs)

From: iwj10@thor.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: tobias@et-inf.fho-emden.de
In-Reply-To: <9510172300.AA26940@server.et-inf.fho-emden.de>
References: <9510172300.AA26940@server.et-inf.fho-emden.de> <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Subject: Bug#1660: marked as done (was: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses)

Your message dated Wed, 18 Oct 1995 00:00:26 +0100 (MET)
with message-id <9510172300.AA26940@server.et-inf.fho-emden.de>
and subject line Bug#1660: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses
has caused the attached bug report to be marked as done.

It is your now responsibility to ensure that the bug report is dealt
with.

(NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what I'm
talking about this indicates a serious mail system misconfiguration
somewhere.  Please contact me immediately.)

Ian Jackson
(maintainer, debian-bugs)

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From i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl!marekm Thu Oct 12 13:57:52 1995
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From: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Message-Id: <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Subject: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses
To: debian-bugs@pixar.com
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 21:57:39 +0100 (MET)
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23]
Content-Type: text
Content-Length: 1389

Package: netbase
Version: 1.17-1

On several other systems I can use ping with a broadcast address to see
what machines on the local network are up and running.  This doesn't
work on Linux - I get "sendto: Permission denied".  It is necessary to
set the SO_BROADCAST socket option for this to work.  Similar change
would probably be nice for fping too.

While we are at it, can we make ping, traceroute (and maybe some other
setuid programs which can run for a long time and need root privileges
only at startup), drop root privileges when no longer needed?  Just do
setuid(getuid()) - the advantage is that ps shows who is running ping.

The patch for ping, with both of the above changes, follows.

Marek

diff -urN ping-5.9.orig/ping.c ping-5.9/ping.c
--- ping-5.9.orig/ping.c	Sat Jan 14 01:24:01 1995
+++ ping-5.9/ping.c	Sat Oct  7 01:12:08 1995
@@ -333,6 +333,8 @@
 	if (options & F_SO_DONTROUTE)
 		(void)setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_DONTROUTE, (char *)&hold,
 		    sizeof(hold));
+	/* this is necessary for broadcast addresses to work */
+	setsockopt(s, SOL_SOCKET, SO_BROADCAST, (char *)&hold, sizeof(hold));

 	/* record route option */
 	if (options & F_RROUTE) {
@@ -385,6 +387,8 @@
 		}
 	}
 #endif
+	/* just in case, and to make ps show who is running ping */
+	setuid(getuid());

 	if (to->sin_family == AF_INET)
 		(void)printf("PING %s (%s): %d data bytes\n", hostname,

From: iwj10@thor.cam.ac.uk (Ian Jackson)
To: Marek Michalkiewicz <marekm@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
Subject: Bug#1660 acknowledged by developer (was: ping doesn't work with broadcast addresses)
References: <9510172300.AA26940@server.et-inf.fho-emden.de> <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>
In-Reply-To: <199510122057.VAA32259@i17linuxb.ists.pwr.wroc.pl>

This is an automatic notification regarding your bug report.

Responsibility for it has been taken by one of the developers, namely
"Peter Tobias" <tobias@server.et-inf.fho-emden.de> (reply to tobias@et-inf.fho-emden.de).

You should be hearing from them with a substantive response shortly, if
you have not already done so.  If not, please contact them directly,
or email debian-bugs@pixar.com or myself.

Ian Jackson
(maintainer, debian-bugs)