Problems after hard crash

[Steven J. Norton]

Regarding my earlier message -- never mind! I was "hoist by my own petard"
-- I was following instructions for hardening Linux in a SANS handbook, and
had changed permissions on utilities in /sbin and /usr/sbin to lock out
users other than root user/group. Apparently that munged the method KDE used
to launch those programs, even though it still has to ask me for the root
password before proceeding. I've since added my main administrative account
to the root group, and things are mostly back to normal. (How dangerous is
this?)

I'm still having problems with the CUPS server, in that it is apparently
running fine and is configured properly (no recent changes) but suddenly I
cannot print from within KDE. I get an error message that the print manager
cannot get the printer list from the CUPS server,  with a detailed message
that the IPP connection to the CUPS server has "failed for an unknown
reason." Not very helpful. [Now, after messing with the configuration files,
I get a message saying "connection refused." When trying to print from the
command line (as root), by piping through lpr with a printer specified, I
get "server-error-service-unavailable." Hmmm.] This is still a major pain,
and I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Steve N

> I hope some of you folks out there have some ideas about this. The main
> problem that I am having is that a number of programs that used to run under
> KDE are now refusing to. Specifically, X-based configuration programs that ask
> for the root password before continuing do not launch from within KDE as they
> used to (though I can get them to run if I start them from the command line as
> root). Instead, they begin to start (I see the hourglass turning over), but
> then nothing happens.
> 
> The first symptom I noticed was that I was not able to use my printer from
> within KDE, and the print manager said it was unable to talk to the CUPS
> server. (I confirmed that the CUPS server is up and running.)
> 
> The only things that I'm aware of which might have caused any change is that
> A) I installed the BRU backup package (from the Tolis Group) and, more likely,
> B) The first time I ran the X-based interface to BRU, the system locked up
> completely when I tried to change one of the configuration options. I ended up
> having to reboot (command-control-power), and from there successfully ran a
> tape backup.
> 
> I have a beige PowerMac G3 desktop, running YDL 3.01, and I've tried to keep
> everything up to date. I haven't found anything useful in the logs (though I'm
> no expert), and I missed the opportunity to check the filesystems that was
> briefly presented to me when I rebooted the system. (By the time I read it,
> the time had run out.)
> 
> The printer problem is the real kicker, though the other issues are pretty
> annoying. Help! Thanks in advance,
> 
> Steve Norton