Checking kernel paramaters

[Soren Morton]

It looks like changes were made to kmtune on XSWGR54 that don't allow a regular user to view the kernel paramaters. I need to be able to get a list of kernel paramaters and settings using a standard user.

Is anyone familiar with a library or command that can be used as a standard user to get a list of ALL kernel paramaters. I noticed the kc.sl library used by SAM, but have not been able to find information on it's use.

[Darrell Allen]

Hi Soren,

Will /usr/sbin/sysdef give you what you need?

Darrell

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Hi,

I haven't applied that patch set but is it simply a case of /usr/sbin not being in a regular user's path. i.e. does /usr/sbin/kmtune work?

[Soren Morton]

Unfortunately sysdef only gives some paramaters (the ones that have been modified from the default I think).

The problem stems from the fact that kmtune tries to create a lock file in a root owned directory making it impossible for a regular user to run the command successfully.

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Hi Soren:

I find that if all I want to do is query the kernel, the kmtune runs fine for both 11.0 and 11.11 as a regular user - but I haven't installed your particular patchset. That having been said, a very simple setuid C program which can be compiled with the bundled c compiler will do the trick:

Create a text file sukmtune.c

int main()
{
int cc = 0;

cc = setuid(0);
if (cc == 0)
{
cc = system("/usr/sbin/kmtune");
}
return(cc);
}

Compile it as root: cc sukmtune.c -o sukmtune
chmod 4755 sukmtune

Now a regular user can execute this as root.

[Soren Morton]

Due to security policies I can not do a suid program.

I figure since kmtune can get the info without being root (until they implemented this lock mechanism on XSWGR54) there must be a library that will work, I just don't know what it is.

[Michael Tully]

Hi,

Have a look at the following files. They give
all the information on all the kernel
parameters in the system including the defaults
minimums and maximums. Both of these files
are world-readable.

/var/sam/boot.config
/usr/conf/master.d/core-hpux

HTH
-Michael

[Soren Morton]

Is the /var/sam/boot.config file updated even if someone uses kmtune and builds the kernel using the command line utilities?

[Wodisch]

Hello Soren,

in the process of creating/building a new
kernel a file "conf.c" is created and compiled
to be linked into the new kernel.
Hence is DOES contain ALL parameters...

So, all you would need is read-permission
for that file (below "/stand/build").

HTH,
Wodisch

[Soren Morton]

For anyone who runs across this I have found a workaround.

echo "?D" | adb -k /stand/vmunix

You have to specify the paramaters you want, but the nice part is that it converts formulas and hex values.

[linuxfan · Accepted solution]

Hi Soren,

This feature(known as bug) was introduced by the patch PHCO_24112. Installing the superceeding patch PHCO_25342 fixes tthe kmtune problem.

-HTH
Ramesh

[Soren Morton]

Ramesh,

Thanks for the update. I figured it was implemented on purpose (like the change to the sticky bit functionality).

[Kevin_31]

I checked my sam logfile (/var/sam/log/samlog)
and found the command it uses to build its list of configurable kernel parameters.

I tested this and it doesn't require a root user to run it. Also, it displayed maxusers, which technically isn't a kernel parameter (a variable used to calculate them tho).

the suggestions above which I tried left out maxusers.

Anyway, the command is:

/usr/lbin/sysadm/get_sysfile /stand/vmunix

(send the output of this to a file or grep what you need from it)