Bug#458007: boincmgr: local preferences are not saved

[Sandro Tosi]

Hi Frank,

> I explained in http://bugs.debian.org/441792 why changing local preferences
> with the BOINC Manager is not possible with the default configuration. Could

oh, sorry I missed that bug, but the subject was a little bit misleading ;)

> you please test if the local preferences are saved after you've changed the
> permission of the /etc/boinc_client/global_prefs_override.xml file?

# chmod 0664 /etc/boinc-client/global_prefs_override.xml

and the preferences are saved now.

> I've also said in this mail that I'll document this in boinc-manager's or
> boinc-client's README.Debian, but obviously I didn't. :-( To address your
> report, do you think it would be enough to explain why local preferences are
> not saved how this can be changed?

It would help for sure! Anyway, I'd like to elaborate some other
solution to this, for example: since using boinc manager I can
stop/start elaboration, attaching to/detach from project and so on
with a normal user (nor boinc nor root) why can't I even change local
preferences? Would be a such a real threat?

I know that is root that install boinc software, but once done, every
user can change boinc behaviour; so, adding a note in README.Debian
would allow the admin to workaround the problem.

A similar issue is for graphics visualization (I would fill a
separated report, but since we are discussince about authorizations):
since boinc-client is running as 'boinc' and the X not (since it's
started by the logged in user) no graphics is displayed by default;
the used need to explicitly allow boinc to use its X session, and this
could be a problem for non-experienced users. I'd like to adress this
problem too.

Cheers,
-- 
Sandro Tosi (aka morph, Morpheus, matrixhasu)
My website: http://matrixhasu.altervista.org/