nedit/X11 error message: This program is an suid-root program...

From: Richard Bemrose <rb3_at_sanger.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 11:41:18 +0100 (BST)

Hi,

Can anybody explain the following X11 error message which is generated by
Nedit V5.1.1 (http://www.nedit.org). Nedit is run on a remote host as
root and the display environment is set automatically via SSH V1.2.27.

As root:
# nedit
This program is an suid-root program or is being run by the root user.
The full text of the error or warning message cannot be safely formatted
in this environment. You may get a more descriptive message by running the
program as a non-root user or by removing the suid bit on the
executable.Segmentation fault (core dumped)

As none-root:
$ nedit
[application runs fine]

The problem does not materialize when Nedit is run from a non-root
account. Mark Edel (Nedit developer) says:
-- start quote --
  As to the menacing error message, I think that's some kind of system-
  specific problem on DEC Alpha's (someone else reported a message like
  that a few months ago), something related to how nedit is being run, as
  opposed to something in nedit itself. Are you possibly running nedit
  from a menu or system console? You'll probably get that message after
  any stderr output from nedit.
-- end quote --

>From the following debug session, the problem seems to be within the Motif
function XtAppCreateShell() at line 250 of window.c:

# cd /nfs/admin/build/nedit-5.1.1/source
/nfs/admin/build/nedit-5.1.1/source

# dbx ./nedit
dbx version 3.11.10
Type 'help' for help.

main: 260 int i, lineNum, nRead, fileSpecified = FALSE, editFlags =
CREATE;
(dbx) file window.c
(dbx) stop at 250
[2] stop at "window.c":250
(dbx) run
[2] stopped at [CreateWindow:250 ,0x12002067c] appShell =
XtAppCreateShell(APP_NAME, APP_CLASS,
(dbx) where
> 0 CreateWindow(name = 0x11fffed48 = "Untitled", geometry = 0x14005da9c = "", iconic = 0) ["window.c":250, 0x12002067c]
   1 EditNewFile(geometry = (nil), iconic = 0, languageMode = (nil)) ["file.c":104, 0x120012630]
   2 main(argc = 1, argv = 0x11ffffa08) ["nedit.c":474, 0x120012174]
(dbx) cont
This program is an suid-root program or is being run by the root user.
The full text of the error or warning message cannot be safely formatted
in this environment. You may get a more descriptive message by running the
program as a non-root user or by removing the suid bit on the
executable.signal Segmentation fault at >*[strlen, 0x3ff8019ed10]
ldq_u r1, 0(r16)
(dbx) where
> 0 strlen(0x0, 0x0, 0x0, 0x6, 0x3ff801a37a8) [0x3ff8019ed10]
   1 _doprnt_dis(0x11fffdda8, 0x11fffebe0, 0x5, 0x0,
0x11fffda48) [0x3ff801a1c08]
   2 _doprnt(0x11fffda48, 0x0, 0x3ff800dac1c, 0x11fffda90,
0x100000010) [0x3ff800dba78]
   3 fprintf(0x3ffc0080310, 0x11fffdb90, 0x11fffdbb4, 0x32,
0x0) [0x3ff800dac18]
   4 warnHandlerCB(message = 0x11fffdb90 = "Cannot convert string "%s" to
type %s") ["misc.c":999, 0x1200923e0]
   5 XtWarning(0x0, 0x140052328, 0x3ff803cc214, 0x11fffe010,
0x3ff803cbab8) [0x3ff803cc210]
   6 (unknown)() [0x3ff803cbab4]
   7 _XtDefaultWarningMsg(0x3ff80450ff4, 0x1400a0c00, 0x0, 0x3ff803cc1d0,
0x3ff803cbdc8) [0x3ff803cbb68]
   8 XtAppWarningMsg(0x3ff803c1038, 0x3ff803b1560, 0x3ff803b1c10,
0x3ff803b40f0, 0x3ff803b1be8) [0x3ff803cbdc4]
   9 XtDisplayStringConversionWarning(0x407, 0x0, 0x140102480,
0x3ff803b59c2, 0x1400a0b10) [0x3ff803c1034]
  10 XtCvtStringToFontStruct(0x3ffc01f6218, 0x1400ff280, 0x3ff800d5984,
0x50, 0x3ffc0087f20) [0x3ff803c3a80]
  11 (unknown)() [0x3ff803bfd1c]
  12 XtCallConverter(0x0, 0x3ffc0202038, 0x1400a0c00, 0x11fffe248,
0x3ff00000001) [0x3ff803bffec]
  13 XmFontListEntryLoad(0x11fffe268, 0x1400ff280, 0x3ff8063f680,
0x1400a0c00, 0x3ff8063f680) [0x3ff8075a878]
  14 (unknown)() [0x3ff806e0ad0]
  15 XmFontListCreateDefault(0x11fffe318, 0x100000008, 0x11fffe358,
0x100000031, 0x140102440) [0x3ff806e7924]
More (n if no)?y
  16 (unknown)() [0x3ff807b1588]
  17 (unknown)() [0x3ff807b16fc]
  18 (unknown)() [0x3ff803c7084]
  19 (unknown)() [0x3ff803c7038]
  20 (unknown)() [0x3ff803c7038]
  21 (unknown)() [0x3ff803c77f0]
  22 _XtAppCreateShell(0x0, 0x11ffffa08, 0x140057128, 0x3ffc0152398,
0x11fffebe0) [0x3ff803c8468]
  23 XtAppCreateShell(0x140057120, 0x140057128, 0x3ffc0152398,
0x1400a0c00, 0x11fffebe0) [0x3ff803c8520]
  24 CreateWindow(name = 0x11fffed48 = "Untitled", geometry = 0x14005da9c
= "", iconic = 0) ["window.c":250, 0x120020698]
  25 EditNewFile(geometry = (nil), iconic = 0, languageMode =
(nil)) ["file.c":104, 0x120012630]
  26 main(argc = 1, argv = 0x11ffffa08) ["nedit.c":474, 0x120012174]
(dbx)


Regards,
Rich

Dr Richard Bemrose | The Sanger Centre | Email: rb3_at_sanger.ac.uk
Senior Systems Admin. | Genome Campus | Tel: +44-(0)-1223-834244
Special Projects Team | Hinxton, Cambridge | Fax: +44-(0)-1223-494919
Systems Support Group | CB10 1SA, UK | http://www.sanger.ac.uk
Received on Mon Apr 17 2000 - 11:39:08 NZST

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