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Re: [hobbit] How to run an arbitary script on the client end?

I had a similar idea to this once: see http://www.hswn.dk/hobbiton/2006/09/msg00537.html It could be handy to be able to specify running an external command, the interval to run it at, and a tag name for it in client-data (and/or perhaps option for the output to be added to a specified column on the Hobbit display).
As for executing remote commands being a security risk, other monitoring programs like Nagios do this (over ssh), and as pointed out it is already possible via using backticks in the log directive. Honestly if someone roots your hobbit server they wouldn't need much help getting into everything else. You should be running the hobbit clients as a non-privledged user, and could even put them in a chroot jail if you want to sleep better at night :) 

-Charles

Haertig, David F (Dave) wrote:

It doesn't matter to me if you add this new feature or not.  It might be
nice, but it's not a deal-breaker.

However, the ability to run arbitrary commands on the client as directed
from the server end is already there.  Via the backticks in the log
directive.  A new "addon" directive might make this easier to access an
dgive it more visibility, but the ability to do remote damage already
exists. 
-----Original Message-----
From: Henrik Stoerner [mailto:henrik (at) hswn.dk] Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 2:48 PM 
To: hobbit (at) hswn.dk
Subject: Re: [hobbit] How to run an arbitary script on the client end?

On Mon, Jun 11, 2007 at 04:22:08PM -0400, Kern, Thomas wrote:
Would this new ADDON feature be configured at the server side or on each client? 

Server-side, in the client-local.cfg file.
I have a gut reaction against some other server being able to arbitrarily execute commands on my systems 

I agree. When I wrote the client, I actually did think about doing
something like this, but decided against it for that very reason.

And if you're the only one who wants it, then I'll probably NOT
implement it.


but I know who runs our
hobbit server. I am also against having to modify each hobbit client that I run if I come up with a new nifty ADDON. I have not looked into 


the update/upgrade mechanism since I know the hobbit-server admin, but
is there some authentication of the updates/upgrades/new_ADDONs that can be done so that they only come from a trusted source? 

Updates are only downloaded from the Hobbit server. But apart from that,
there's no authentication of the new client code.


Regards,
Henrik


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