diff mbox

[1/2] packages: add ability for packages to create users

Message ID 5f1de03287fa8817aa692419c52e0997ec3e2489.1360075956.git.yann.morin.1998@free.fr
State Changes Requested
Headers show

Commit Message

Yann E. MORIN Feb. 5, 2013, 2:54 p.m. UTC
Packages that install daemons may need those daemons to run as a non-root,
or an otherwise non-system (eg. 'daemon'), user.

Add infrastructure for packages to create users, by declaring the FOO_USERS
variable that contain a makedev-syntax-like description of the user(s) to
add.

Signed-off-by: "Yann E. MORIN" <yann.morin.1998@free.fr>
Cc: Samuel Martin <s.martin49@gmail.com>
Cc: Cam Hutchison <camh@xdna.net>
Cc: Thomas Petazzoni <thomas.petazzoni@free-electrons.com>
---
 docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt |   16 ++-
 docs/manual/appendix.txt                |    1 +
 docs/manual/makeusers-syntax.txt        |   87 +++++++
 fs/common.mk                            |    3 +
 package/pkg-generic.mk                  |    1 +
 support/scripts/mkusers                 |  371 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 6 files changed, 477 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 docs/manual/makeusers-syntax.txt
 create mode 100755 support/scripts/mkusers

Comments

Arnout Vandecappelle Feb. 6, 2013, 12:12 a.m. UTC | #1
Although I have a shitload of comments below, there's nothing critical so:
Acked-by: Arnout Vandecappelle (Essensium/Mind) <arnout@mind.be>

On 05/02/13 15:54, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
[snip]
> diff --git a/support/scripts/mkusers b/support/scripts/mkusers
> new file mode 100755
> index 0000000..d98714c
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/support/scripts/mkusers
> @@ -0,0 +1,371 @@
> +#!/bin/bash

  Although we already do depend on bash, I would prefer not to add more 
dependencies. The only bashism I could find is the 'local' declaration, 
which unfortunately is really required where it is used in this script. 
So never mind that.

> +set -e
> +myname="${0##*/}"
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Configurable items
> +MIN_UID=1000
> +MAX_UID=1999
> +MIN_GID=1000
> +MAX_GID=1999
> +# No more is configurable below this point
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +error() {
> +    local fmt="${1}"
> +    shift
> +
> +    printf "%s: " "${myname}" >&2
> +    printf "${fmt}" "${@}" >&2
> +}
> +fail() {
> +    error "$@"
> +    exit 1
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +if [ ${#} -ne 2 ]; then
> +    fail "usage: %s USERS_TBLE TARGET_DIR\n"

  USERS_TABLE

> +fi
> +USERS_TABLE="${1}"
> +TARGET_DIR="${2}"
> +shift 2
> +PASSWD="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/passwd"
> +SHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/shadow"
> +GROUP="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/group"
> +# /etc/gsahdow is not part of the standard skeleton, so not everybody

  gshadow

> +# will have it, but some may hav it, and its content must be in sync
> +# with /etc/group, so any use of gshadow must be conditional.
> +GSHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/gshadow"
> +PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
> +                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
> +                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
> +                )"

  I'm personally more in favour of sourcing ${BUILDROOT_CONFIG} and using 
"${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" directly.

> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_uid() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +
> +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${PASSWD}"

  I personally find it easier to read an awk script that is written like 
this:

	awk -F: -v username="${1}" \
		'$1 == username { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }'

(i.e. pass variables as awk variables rather than expanding them in the 
awk script).

  But obviously that's just personal opinion.

> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_ugid() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +
> +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $4 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_gid() {
> +    local group="${1}"
> +
> +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${group}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${GROUP}"
> +}

  I would define a single get_id for passwd and group, where the file is 
passed as a parameter. That allows to factor the generate_uid/gid, below, 
as well.

> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_username() {
> +    local uid="${1}"
> +
> +    awk -F: '$3=="'"${uid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_group() {
> +    local gid="${1}"
> +
> +    awk -F: '$3=="'"${gid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${GROUP}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +get_ugroup() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +    local ugid
> +
> +    ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
> +    if [ -n "${ugid}" ]; then
> +        get_group "${ugid}"
> +    fi
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Sanity-check the new user/group:
> +#   - check the gid is not already used for another group
> +#   - check the group does not already exist with another gid
> +#   - check the user does not already exist with another gid
> +#   - check the uid is not already used for another user
> +#   - check the user does not already exist with another uid
> +#   - check the user does not already exist in another group
> +check_user_validity() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +    local uid="${2}"
> +    local group="${3}"
> +    local gid="${4}"
> +    local _uid _ugid _gid _username _group _ugroup
> +
> +    _group="$( get_group "${gid}" )"
> +    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> +    _ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
> +    _username="$( get_username "${uid}" )"
> +    _uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
> +    _ugroup="$( get_ugroup "${username}" )"
> +
> +    if [ "${username}" = "root" ]; then
> +        fail "invalid username '%s\n'" "${username}"
> +    fi
> +
> +    if [ ${gid} -lt -1 -o ${gid} -eq 0 ]; then

  If ${gid} is not an integer, this will report:
[: foo: integer expression expected
in addition to the error below. Unfortunately there is no way to check 
for integer, but you could redirect stderr to /dev/null.

> +        fail "invalid gid '%d'\n" ${gid}
> +    elif [ ${gid} -ne -1 ]; then
> +        # check the gid is not already used for another group
> +        if [ -n "${_group}" -a "${_group}" != "${group}" ]; then
> +            fail "gid is already used by group '${_group}'\n"
> +        fi
> +
> +        # check the group does not already exists with another gid
> +        if [ -n "${_gid}" -a ${_gid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
> +            fail "group already exists with gid '${_gid}'\n"
> +        fi
> +
> +        # check the user does not already exists with another gid
> +        if [ -n "${_ugid}" -a ${_ugid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
> +            fail "user already exists with gid '${_ugid}'\n"
> +        fi
> +    fi
> +
> +    if [ ${uid} -lt -1 -o ${uid} -eq 0 ]; then
> +        fail "invalid uid '%d'\n" ${uid}
> +    elif [ ${uid} -ne -1 ]; then
> +        # check the uid is not already used for another user
> +        if [ -n "${_username}" -a "${_username}" != "${username}" ]; then
> +            fail "uid is already used by user '${_username}'\n"
> +        fi
> +
> +        # check the user does not already exists with another uid
> +        if [ -n "${_uid}" -a ${_uid} -ne ${uid} ]; then
> +            fail "user already exists with uid '${_uid}'\n"
> +        fi
> +    fi

  If the user already exists, I would check that _all_ fields are exactly 
the same. Otherwise, it depends on the order of evaluation of the .mk 
files what will end up in the passwd/group file.

> +
> +    # check the user does not already exist in another group
> +    if [ -n "${_ugroup}" -a "${_ugroup}" != "${group}" ]; then
> +        fail "user already exists with group '${_ugroup}'\n"
> +    fi
> +
> +    return 0
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Generate a unique GID for given group. If the group already exists,
> +# then simply report its current GID. Otherwise, generate the lowest GID
> +# that is:
> +#   - not 0
> +#   - comprised in [MIN_GID..MAX_GID]
> +#   - not already used by a group
> +generate_gid() {

  So you could factor generate_gid/uid into a single generate_id which 
you call like:

generate_id ${group} ${GROUP} ${MIN_GID} ${MAX_GID}

> +    local group="${1}"
> +    local gid
> +
> +    gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> +    if [ -z "${gid}" ]; then
> +        for(( gid=MIN_GID; gid<=MAX_GID; gid++ )); do
> +            if [ -z "$( get_group "${gid}" )" ]; then
> +                break
> +            fi
> +        done
> +        if [ ${gid} -gt ${MAX_GID} ]; then
> +            fail "can not allocate a GID for group '%s'\n" "${group}"
> +        fi
> +    fi
> +    printf "%d\n" "${gid}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Add a group; if it does already exist, remove it first
> +add_one_group() {
> +    local group="${1}"
> +    local gid="${2}"
> +    local _f
> +
> +    # Generate a new GID if needed
> +    if [ ${gid} -eq -1 ]; then
> +        gid="$( generate_gid "${group}" )"
> +    fi
> +
> +    # Remove any previous instance of this group
> +    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do

  Since ${GROUP} always exists, I think having a loop here is harder to 
read that just repeating the sed call.

> +        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
> +        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${group}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"

  -r is redundant (it's a plain regex).

  Quoting could be simpler:

	sed -i -e "/^${group}:.*/d;" "${GROUP}"

> +    done
> +
> +    printf "%s:x:%d:\n" "${group}" "${gid}" >>"${GROUP}"
> +    if [ -f "${GSHADOW}" ]; then

  Instead of having the condition twice, just put the sed statement for 
GSHADOW here.

> +        printf "%s:*::\n" "${group}" >>"${GSHADOW}"
> +    fi
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Generate a unique UID for given username. If the username already exists,
> +# then simply report its current UID. Otherwise, generate the lowest UID
> +# that is:
> +#   - not 0
> +#   - comprised in [MIN_UID..MAX_UID]
> +#   - not already used by a user
> +generate_uid() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +    local uid
> +
> +    uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
> +    if [ -z "${uid}" ]; then
> +        for(( uid=MIN_UID; uid<=MAX_UID; uid++ )); do
> +            if [ -z "$( get_username "${uid}" )" ]; then
> +                break
> +            fi
> +        done
> +        if [ ${uid} -gt ${MAX_UID} ]; then
> +            fail "can not allocate a UID for user '%s'\n" "${username}"
> +        fi
> +    fi
> +    printf "%d\n" "${uid}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Add given user to given group, if not already the case
> +add_user_to_group() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +    local group="${2}"
> +    local _f
> +
> +    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
> +        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
> +        sed -r -i -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*:)(([^:]+,)?)'"${username}"'(,[^:]+*)?$/\1\2\4/;'  \
> +                  -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*)$/\1,'"${username}"'/;'                           \
> +                  -e 's/,+/,/'                                                              \
> +                  -e 's/:,/:/'                                                              \
> +                  "${_f}"
> +    done
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Encode a password
> +encode_password() {
> +    local passwd="${1}"
> +
> +    mkpasswd -m "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" "${passwd}"

  Err, you defined it as PASSWD_METHOD above...  But if you source 
.config as I suggested, this is OK :-)

> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +# Add a user; if it does already exist, remove it first
> +add_one_user() {
> +    local username="${1}"
> +    local uid="${2}"
> +    local group="${3}"
> +    local gid="${4}"
> +    local passwd="${5}"
> +    local home="${6}"
> +    local shell="${7}"
> +    local groups="${8}"
> +    local comment="${9}"
> +    local nb_days="$((($(date +%s)+(24*60*60-1))/(24*60*60)))"

  Hm, I don't like this. If I re-run the same configuration after a year, 
it gives me a different shadow.

  I think the nb_days field in shadow should be left empty. The one in 
the skeleton is arbitrarily set to Dec. 8 1999, it has been like that 
since the first commit in 2001, and it has completely no meaning.

> +    local _f _group _home _shell _gid _passwd
> +
> +    # First, sanity-check the user
> +    check_user_validity "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}"
> +
> +    # Generate a new UID if needed
> +    if [ ${uid} -eq -1 ]; then
> +        uid="$( generate_uid "${username}" )"
> +    fi
> +
> +    # Remove any previous instance of this user
> +    for _f in "${PASSWD}" "${SHADOW}"; do
> +        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${username}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
> +    done
> +
> +    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> +    _shell="${shell}"
> +    if [ "${shell}" = "-" ]; then
> +        _shell="/bin/false"
> +    fi
> +    case "${home}" in
> +        -)  _home="/";;
> +        /)  fail "home can not explicitly be '/'\n";;
> +        /*) _home="${home}";;
> +        *)  fail "home must be an absolute path\n";;
> +    esac
> +    case "${passwd}" in
> +        !=*)
> +            _passwd='!'"$( encode_passwd "${passwd#!=}" )"
> +            ;;
> +        =*)
> +            _passwd="$( encode_passwd "${passwd#=}" )"
> +            ;;
> +        *)
> +            _passwd="${passwd}"
> +            ;;
> +    esac
> +
> +    printf "%s:x:%d:%d:%s:%s:%s\n"              \
> +           "${username}" "${uid}" "${_gid}"     \
> +           "${comment}" "${_home}" "${_shell}"  \
> +           >>"${PASSWD}"
> +    printf "%s:%s:%d:0:99999:7:::\n"                \
> +           "${username}" "${_passwd}" "${nb_days}"  \
> +           >>"${SHADOW}"
> +
> +    # Add the user to its additional groups
> +    if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> +        for _group in ${groups//,/ }; do

  Oh, here's another bashism. But also one which is much more difficult 
to write in Posix sh.

> +            add_user_to_group "${username}" "${_group}"
> +        done
> +    fi
> +
> +    # If the user has a home, chown it
> +    # (Note: stdout goes to the fakeroot-script)
> +    if [ "${home}" != "-" ]; then
> +        mkdir -p "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
> +        printf "chown -R %d:%d '%s'\n" "${uid}" "${_gid}" "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
> +    fi
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +main() {
> +    local username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment
> +
> +    # Some sanity checks
> +    if [ ${MIN_UID} -le 0 ]; then
> +        fail "MIN_UID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_UID}
> +    fi
> +    if [ ${MIN_GID} -le 0 ]; then
> +        fail "MIN_GID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_GID}
> +    fi
> +
> +    # First, create all the main groups
> +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> +        add_one_group "${group}" "${gid}"

  In the first pass, I would only add groups where gid != -1. Then, if 
there is a line which sets gid and another one which doesn't, it still 
works.  Of course that means you have to repeat the add_one_group for gid 
== -1 in the second pass.

> +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> +
> +    # Then, create all the additional groups
> +    # If any additional group is already a main group, we should use
> +    # the gid of that main group; otherwise, we can use any gid
> +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> +        if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> +            for g in ${groups//,/ }; do
> +                add_one_group "${g}" -1
> +            done
> +        fi
> +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> +
> +    # Finally, add users
> +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> +        add_one_user "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}" "${passwd}" \
> +                     "${home}" "${shell}" "${groups}" "${comment}"

  If you reverse-sort the USERS_TABLE in the makefile before the script 
is called, then you also make it possible for one package setting uid to 
-1 and another giving a specific uid.

  Regards,
  Arnout

> +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> +}
> +
> +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +main "${@}"
>
Yann E. MORIN Feb. 6, 2013, 10:59 p.m. UTC | #2
On Wednesday 06 February 2013 Arnout Vandecappelle wrote:
>   Although I have a shitload of comments below, there's nothing critical so:
> Acked-by: Arnout Vandecappelle (Essensium/Mind) <arnout@mind.be>
> 
> On 05/02/13 15:54, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
> [snip]
> > diff --git a/support/scripts/mkusers b/support/scripts/mkusers
> > new file mode 100755
> > index 0000000..d98714c
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ b/support/scripts/mkusers
> > @@ -0,0 +1,371 @@
> > +#!/bin/bash
> 
>   Although we already do depend on bash, I would prefer not to add more 
> dependencies. The only bashism I could find is the 'local' declaration, 
> which unfortunately is really required where it is used in this script. 
> So never mind that.
> 
> > +set -e
> > +myname="${0##*/}"
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Configurable items
> > +MIN_UID=1000
> > +MAX_UID=1999
> > +MIN_GID=1000
> > +MAX_GID=1999
> > +# No more is configurable below this point
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +error() {
> > +    local fmt="${1}"
> > +    shift
> > +
> > +    printf "%s: " "${myname}" >&2
> > +    printf "${fmt}" "${@}" >&2
> > +}
> > +fail() {
> > +    error "$@"
> > +    exit 1
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +if [ ${#} -ne 2 ]; then
> > +    fail "usage: %s USERS_TBLE TARGET_DIR\n"
> 
>   USERS_TABLE
> 
> > +fi
> > +USERS_TABLE="${1}"
> > +TARGET_DIR="${2}"
> > +shift 2
> > +PASSWD="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/passwd"
> > +SHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/shadow"
> > +GROUP="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/group"
> > +# /etc/gsahdow is not part of the standard skeleton, so not everybody
> 
>   gshadow
> 
> > +# will have it, but some may hav it, and its content must be in sync
> > +# with /etc/group, so any use of gshadow must be conditional.
> > +GSHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/gshadow"
> > +PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
> > +                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
> > +                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
> > +                )"
> 
>   I'm personally more in favour of sourcing ${BUILDROOT_CONFIG} and using 
> "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" directly.
> 
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_uid() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> 
>   I personally find it easier to read an awk script that is written like 
> this:
> 
> 	awk -F: -v username="${1}" \
> 		'$1 == username { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }'
> 
> (i.e. pass variables as awk variables rather than expanding them in the 
> awk script).
> 
>   But obviously that's just personal opinion.
> 
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_ugid() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $4 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_gid() {
> > +    local group="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${group}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${GROUP}"
> > +}
> 
>   I would define a single get_id for passwd and group, where the file is 
> passed as a parameter. That allows to factor the generate_uid/gid, below, 
> as well.
> 
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_username() {
> > +    local uid="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$3=="'"${uid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_group() {
> > +    local gid="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$3=="'"${gid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${GROUP}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_ugroup() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local ugid
> > +
> > +    ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
> > +    if [ -n "${ugid}" ]; then
> > +        get_group "${ugid}"
> > +    fi
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Sanity-check the new user/group:
> > +#   - check the gid is not already used for another group
> > +#   - check the group does not already exist with another gid
> > +#   - check the user does not already exist with another gid
> > +#   - check the uid is not already used for another user
> > +#   - check the user does not already exist with another uid
> > +#   - check the user does not already exist in another group
> > +check_user_validity() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local uid="${2}"
> > +    local group="${3}"
> > +    local gid="${4}"
> > +    local _uid _ugid _gid _username _group _ugroup
> > +
> > +    _group="$( get_group "${gid}" )"
> > +    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> > +    _ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
> > +    _username="$( get_username "${uid}" )"
> > +    _uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
> > +    _ugroup="$( get_ugroup "${username}" )"
> > +
> > +    if [ "${username}" = "root" ]; then
> > +        fail "invalid username '%s\n'" "${username}"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    if [ ${gid} -lt -1 -o ${gid} -eq 0 ]; then
> 
>   If ${gid} is not an integer, this will report:
> [: foo: integer expression expected
> in addition to the error below. Unfortunately there is no way to check 
> for integer, but you could redirect stderr to /dev/null.
> 
> > +        fail "invalid gid '%d'\n" ${gid}
> > +    elif [ ${gid} -ne -1 ]; then
> > +        # check the gid is not already used for another group
> > +        if [ -n "${_group}" -a "${_group}" != "${group}" ]; then
> > +            fail "gid is already used by group '${_group}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +
> > +        # check the group does not already exists with another gid
> > +        if [ -n "${_gid}" -a ${_gid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
> > +            fail "group already exists with gid '${_gid}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +
> > +        # check the user does not already exists with another gid
> > +        if [ -n "${_ugid}" -a ${_ugid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
> > +            fail "user already exists with gid '${_ugid}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    if [ ${uid} -lt -1 -o ${uid} -eq 0 ]; then
> > +        fail "invalid uid '%d'\n" ${uid}
> > +    elif [ ${uid} -ne -1 ]; then
> > +        # check the uid is not already used for another user
> > +        if [ -n "${_username}" -a "${_username}" != "${username}" ]; then
> > +            fail "uid is already used by user '${_username}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +
> > +        # check the user does not already exists with another uid
> > +        if [ -n "${_uid}" -a ${_uid} -ne ${uid} ]; then
> > +            fail "user already exists with uid '${_uid}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +    fi
> 
>   If the user already exists, I would check that _all_ fields are exactly 
> the same. Otherwise, it depends on the order of evaluation of the .mk 
> files what will end up in the passwd/group file.
> 
> > +
> > +    # check the user does not already exist in another group
> > +    if [ -n "${_ugroup}" -a "${_ugroup}" != "${group}" ]; then
> > +        fail "user already exists with group '${_ugroup}'\n"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    return 0
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Generate a unique GID for given group. If the group already exists,
> > +# then simply report its current GID. Otherwise, generate the lowest GID
> > +# that is:
> > +#   - not 0
> > +#   - comprised in [MIN_GID..MAX_GID]
> > +#   - not already used by a group
> > +generate_gid() {
> 
>   So you could factor generate_gid/uid into a single generate_id which 
> you call like:
> 
> generate_id ${group} ${GROUP} ${MIN_GID} ${MAX_GID}
> 
> > +    local group="${1}"
> > +    local gid
> > +
> > +    gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> > +    if [ -z "${gid}" ]; then
> > +        for(( gid=MIN_GID; gid<=MAX_GID; gid++ )); do
> > +            if [ -z "$( get_group "${gid}" )" ]; then
> > +                break
> > +            fi
> > +        done
> > +        if [ ${gid} -gt ${MAX_GID} ]; then
> > +            fail "can not allocate a GID for group '%s'\n" "${group}"
> > +        fi
> > +    fi
> > +    printf "%d\n" "${gid}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Add a group; if it does already exist, remove it first
> > +add_one_group() {
> > +    local group="${1}"
> > +    local gid="${2}"
> > +    local _f
> > +
> > +    # Generate a new GID if needed
> > +    if [ ${gid} -eq -1 ]; then
> > +        gid="$( generate_gid "${group}" )"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    # Remove any previous instance of this group
> > +    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
> 
>   Since ${GROUP} always exists, I think having a loop here is harder to 
> read that just repeating the sed call.
> 
> > +        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
> > +        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${group}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
> 
>   -r is redundant (it's a plain regex).
> 
>   Quoting could be simpler:
> 
> 	sed -i -e "/^${group}:.*/d;" "${GROUP}"
> 
> > +    done
> > +
> > +    printf "%s:x:%d:\n" "${group}" "${gid}" >>"${GROUP}"
> > +    if [ -f "${GSHADOW}" ]; then
> 
>   Instead of having the condition twice, just put the sed statement for 
> GSHADOW here.
> 
> > +        printf "%s:*::\n" "${group}" >>"${GSHADOW}"
> > +    fi
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Generate a unique UID for given username. If the username already exists,
> > +# then simply report its current UID. Otherwise, generate the lowest UID
> > +# that is:
> > +#   - not 0
> > +#   - comprised in [MIN_UID..MAX_UID]
> > +#   - not already used by a user
> > +generate_uid() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local uid
> > +
> > +    uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
> > +    if [ -z "${uid}" ]; then
> > +        for(( uid=MIN_UID; uid<=MAX_UID; uid++ )); do
> > +            if [ -z "$( get_username "${uid}" )" ]; then
> > +                break
> > +            fi
> > +        done
> > +        if [ ${uid} -gt ${MAX_UID} ]; then
> > +            fail "can not allocate a UID for user '%s'\n" "${username}"
> > +        fi
> > +    fi
> > +    printf "%d\n" "${uid}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Add given user to given group, if not already the case
> > +add_user_to_group() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local group="${2}"
> > +    local _f
> > +
> > +    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
> > +        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
> > +        sed -r -i -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*:)(([^:]+,)?)'"${username}"'(,[^:]+*)?$/\1\2\4/;'  \
> > +                  -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*)$/\1,'"${username}"'/;'                           \
> > +                  -e 's/,+/,/'                                                              \
> > +                  -e 's/:,/:/'                                                              \
> > +                  "${_f}"
> > +    done
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Encode a password
> > +encode_password() {
> > +    local passwd="${1}"
> > +
> > +    mkpasswd -m "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" "${passwd}"
> 
>   Err, you defined it as PASSWD_METHOD above...  But if you source 
> .config as I suggested, this is OK :-)
> 
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Add a user; if it does already exist, remove it first
> > +add_one_user() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local uid="${2}"
> > +    local group="${3}"
> > +    local gid="${4}"
> > +    local passwd="${5}"
> > +    local home="${6}"
> > +    local shell="${7}"
> > +    local groups="${8}"
> > +    local comment="${9}"
> > +    local nb_days="$((($(date +%s)+(24*60*60-1))/(24*60*60)))"
> 
>   Hm, I don't like this. If I re-run the same configuration after a year, 
> it gives me a different shadow.
> 
>   I think the nb_days field in shadow should be left empty. The one in 
> the skeleton is arbitrarily set to Dec. 8 1999, it has been like that 
> since the first commit in 2001, and it has completely no meaning.
> 
> > +    local _f _group _home _shell _gid _passwd
> > +
> > +    # First, sanity-check the user
> > +    check_user_validity "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}"
> > +
> > +    # Generate a new UID if needed
> > +    if [ ${uid} -eq -1 ]; then
> > +        uid="$( generate_uid "${username}" )"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    # Remove any previous instance of this user
> > +    for _f in "${PASSWD}" "${SHADOW}"; do
> > +        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${username}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
> > +    done
> > +
> > +    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
> > +    _shell="${shell}"
> > +    if [ "${shell}" = "-" ]; then
> > +        _shell="/bin/false"
> > +    fi
> > +    case "${home}" in
> > +        -)  _home="/";;
> > +        /)  fail "home can not explicitly be '/'\n";;
> > +        /*) _home="${home}";;
> > +        *)  fail "home must be an absolute path\n";;
> > +    esac
> > +    case "${passwd}" in
> > +        !=*)
> > +            _passwd='!'"$( encode_passwd "${passwd#!=}" )"
> > +            ;;
> > +        =*)
> > +            _passwd="$( encode_passwd "${passwd#=}" )"
> > +            ;;
> > +        *)
> > +            _passwd="${passwd}"
> > +            ;;
> > +    esac
> > +
> > +    printf "%s:x:%d:%d:%s:%s:%s\n"              \
> > +           "${username}" "${uid}" "${_gid}"     \
> > +           "${comment}" "${_home}" "${_shell}"  \
> > +           >>"${PASSWD}"
> > +    printf "%s:%s:%d:0:99999:7:::\n"                \
> > +           "${username}" "${_passwd}" "${nb_days}"  \
> > +           >>"${SHADOW}"
> > +
> > +    # Add the user to its additional groups
> > +    if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> > +        for _group in ${groups//,/ }; do
> 
>   Oh, here's another bashism. But also one which is much more difficult 
> to write in Posix sh.
> 
> > +            add_user_to_group "${username}" "${_group}"
> > +        done
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    # If the user has a home, chown it
> > +    # (Note: stdout goes to the fakeroot-script)
> > +    if [ "${home}" != "-" ]; then
> > +        mkdir -p "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
> > +        printf "chown -R %d:%d '%s'\n" "${uid}" "${_gid}" "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
> > +    fi
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +main() {
> > +    local username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment
> > +
> > +    # Some sanity checks
> > +    if [ ${MIN_UID} -le 0 ]; then
> > +        fail "MIN_UID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_UID}
> > +    fi
> > +    if [ ${MIN_GID} -le 0 ]; then
> > +        fail "MIN_GID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_GID}
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    # First, create all the main groups
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        add_one_group "${group}" "${gid}"
> 
>   In the first pass, I would only add groups where gid != -1. Then, if 
> there is a line which sets gid and another one which doesn't, it still 
> works.  Of course that means you have to repeat the add_one_group for gid 
> == -1 in the second pass.
> 
> > +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> > +
> > +    # Then, create all the additional groups
> > +    # If any additional group is already a main group, we should use
> > +    # the gid of that main group; otherwise, we can use any gid
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> > +            for g in ${groups//,/ }; do
> > +                add_one_group "${g}" -1
> > +            done
> > +        fi
> > +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> > +
> > +    # Finally, add users
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        add_one_user "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}" "${passwd}" \
> > +                     "${home}" "${shell}" "${groups}" "${comment}"
> 
>   If you reverse-sort the USERS_TABLE in the makefile before the script 
> is called, then you also make it possible for one package setting uid to 
> -1 and another giving a specific uid.
> 
>   Regards,
>   Arnout
> 
> > +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +main "${@}"
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Arnout Vandecappelle                          arnout at mind be
> Senior Embedded Software Architect            +32-16-286500
> Essensium/Mind                                http://www.mind.be
> G.Geenslaan 9, 3001 Leuven, Belgium           BE 872 984 063 RPR Leuven
> LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoutvandecappelle
> GPG fingerprint:  7CB5 E4CC 6C2E EFD4 6E3D A754 F963 ECAB 2450 2F1F
> _______________________________________________
> buildroot mailing list
> buildroot@busybox.net
> http://lists.busybox.net/mailman/listinfo/buildroot
> 
>
Yann E. MORIN Feb. 6, 2013, 11:20 p.m. UTC | #3
Arnout, All,

[sorry about previous post, I inadvertently press Ctrl-Enter which sends
the mail in kmail]

On Wednesday 06 February 2013 Arnout Vandecappelle wrote:
>   Although I have a shitload of comments below, there's nothing critical so:
> Acked-by: Arnout Vandecappelle (Essensium/Mind) <arnout@mind.be>

Thanks!

Typos fixed. See my other comments below, too.

> On 05/02/13 15:54, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
> > diff --git a/support/scripts/mkusers b/support/scripts/mkusers
> > new file mode 100755
> > index 0000000..d98714c
> > --- /dev/null
> > +++ b/support/scripts/mkusers
[--SNIP--]
> > +# will have it, but some may hav it, and its content must be in sync
> > +# with /etc/group, so any use of gshadow must be conditional.
> > +GSHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/gshadow"
> > +PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
> > +                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
> > +                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
> > +                )"
> 
>   I'm personally more in favour of sourcing ${BUILDROOT_CONFIG} and using 
> "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" directly.

I'll how much it simplifies the code.

> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_uid() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> 
>   I personally find it easier to read an awk script that is written like 
> this:
> 
> 	awk -F: -v username="${1}" \
> 		'$1 == username { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }'
> 
> (i.e. pass variables as awk variables rather than expanding them in the 
> awk script).

OK, seems reasonable.

> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_ugid() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $4 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +get_gid() {
> > +    local group="${1}"
> > +
> > +    awk -F: '$1=="'"${group}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${GROUP}"
> > +}
> 
>   I would define a single get_id for passwd and group, where the file is 
> passed as a parameter. That allows to factor the generate_uid/gid, below, 
> as well.

It's not the same field. While factorising is overall good, it simple enough
like that.

> > +    if [ "${username}" = "root" ]; then
> > +        fail "invalid username '%s\n'" "${username}"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    if [ ${gid} -lt -1 -o ${gid} -eq 0 ]; then
> 
>   If ${gid} is not an integer, this will report:
> [: foo: integer expression expected
> in addition to the error below. Unfortunately there is no way to check 
> for integer, but you could redirect stderr to /dev/null.

Well, this is not user-selectable, and is in the code. If the code is
not using an integer, this is a bug in our code.

> > +        # check the user does not already exists with another uid
> > +        if [ -n "${_uid}" -a ${_uid} -ne ${uid} ]; then
> > +            fail "user already exists with uid '${_uid}'\n"
> > +        fi
> > +    fi
> 
>   If the user already exists, I would check that _all_ fields are exactly 
> the same. Otherwise, it depends on the order of evaluation of the .mk 
> files what will end up in the passwd/group file.

OK, I'll queue that change for tomorow, when I'm not as sleepy as I'm now.

> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Generate a unique GID for given group. If the group already exists,
> > +# then simply report its current GID. Otherwise, generate the lowest GID
> > +# that is:
> > +#   - not 0
> > +#   - comprised in [MIN_GID..MAX_GID]
> > +#   - not already used by a group
> > +generate_gid() {
> 
>   So you could factor generate_gid/uid into a single generate_id which 
> you call like:
> 
> generate_id ${group} ${GROUP} ${MIN_GID} ${MAX_GID}

Hmm. No sure it would be that simple... :-/

> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Add a group; if it does already exist, remove it first
> > +add_one_group() {
> > +    local group="${1}"
> > +    local gid="${2}"
> > +    local _f
> > +
> > +    # Generate a new GID if needed
> > +    if [ ${gid} -eq -1 ]; then
> > +        gid="$( generate_gid "${group}" )"
> > +    fi
> > +
> > +    # Remove any previous instance of this group
> > +    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
> 
>   Since ${GROUP} always exists, I think having a loop here is harder to 
> read that just repeating the sed call.

OK.

> > +        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
> > +        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${group}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
> 
>   -r is redundant (it's a plain regex).

I never know what is a plain regexp or an extended regexp. So I always
use -i. Will remove.

>   Quoting could be simpler:
> 
> 	sed -i -e "/^${group}:.*/d;" "${GROUP}"

OK.

> > +    done
> > +
> > +    printf "%s:x:%d:\n" "${group}" "${gid}" >>"${GROUP}"
> > +    if [ -f "${GSHADOW}" ]; then
> 
>   Instead of having the condition twice, just put the sed statement for 
> GSHADOW here.

OK. Makes much more sense that way. :-)

> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Encode a password
> > +encode_password() {
> > +    local passwd="${1}"
> > +
> > +    mkpasswd -m "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" "${passwd}"
> 
>   Err, you defined it as PASSWD_METHOD above...  But if you source 
> .config as I suggested, this is OK :-)

He! How is it even supposed to work at all? :-/
/me is puzzled...
Will fix.

> > +}
> > +
> > +#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > +# Add a user; if it does already exist, remove it first
> > +add_one_user() {
> > +    local username="${1}"
> > +    local uid="${2}"
> > +    local group="${3}"
> > +    local gid="${4}"
> > +    local passwd="${5}"
> > +    local home="${6}"
> > +    local shell="${7}"
> > +    local groups="${8}"
> > +    local comment="${9}"
> > +    local nb_days="$((($(date +%s)+(24*60*60-1))/(24*60*60)))"
> 
>   Hm, I don't like this. If I re-run the same configuration after a year, 
> it gives me a different shadow.
> 
>   I think the nb_days field in shadow should be left empty. The one in 
> the skeleton is arbitrarily set to Dec. 8 1999, it has been like that 
> since the first commit in 2001, and it has completely no meaning.

OK, will go for an empty nb_day field ("empty field means that password
aging features are disabled.").

> > +    # Add the user to its additional groups
> > +    if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> > +        for _group in ${groups//,/ }; do
> 
>   Oh, here's another bashism. But also one which is much more difficult 
> to write in Posix sh.

It'd need womething along the lines of:

  for _group in $( printf "%s" "${groups}" |sed -r -e 's/,/ /g;' ); do

which is much more verbose... I'd like it to be kept a bash script.

> > +    # First, create all the main groups
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        add_one_group "${group}" "${gid}"
> 
>   In the first pass, I would only add groups where gid != -1. Then, if 
> there is a line which sets gid and another one which doesn't, it still 
> works.  Of course that means you have to repeat the add_one_group for gid 
> == -1 in the second pass.

OK.

> > +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> > +
> > +    # Then, create all the additional groups
> > +    # If any additional group is already a main group, we should use
> > +    # the gid of that main group; otherwise, we can use any gid
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
> > +            for g in ${groups//,/ }; do
> > +                add_one_group "${g}" -1
> > +            done
> > +        fi
> > +    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
> > +
> > +    # Finally, add users
> > +    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
> > +        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
> > +        add_one_user "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}" "${passwd}" \
> > +                     "${home}" "${shell}" "${groups}" "${comment}"
> 
>   If you reverse-sort the USERS_TABLE in the makefile before the script 
> is called, then you also make it possible for one package setting uid to 
> -1 and another giving a specific uid.

OK, I'll check this.

Thank you!

Regards,
Yann E. MORIN.
Yann E. MORIN Feb. 8, 2013, 10:02 p.m. UTC | #4
Arnout, All,

On Wednesday 06 February 2013 Arnout Vandecappelle wrote:
> On 05/02/13 15:54, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
[--SNIP--]
> > +PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
> > +                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
> > +                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
> > +                )"
> 
>   I'm personally more in favour of sourcing ${BUILDROOT_CONFIG} and using 
> "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" directly.

We can't simply source .config from shell scripts. .config may contain
constructs of the form:
    BR2_HOST_DIR="$(BASE_DIR)/host"

which would ultimately try to call a command named 'BASE_DIR' which is
obviously wrong for virtually everybody on Earth (and probably other
planets, too).

So, I kept a sed expression to extract the password encoding method form
the .config.

Note: I applied most of your suggestions, and added your ACK, as per your
initial mail. I hope it will be still valid once you see the nes script! ;-)

Regards,
Yann E. MORIN.
Arnout Vandecappelle Feb. 12, 2013, 6:27 a.m. UTC | #5
On 08/02/13 23:02, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
> Arnout, All,
>
> On Wednesday 06 February 2013 Arnout Vandecappelle wrote:
>> On 05/02/13 15:54, Yann E. MORIN wrote:
> [--SNIP--]
>>> +PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
>>> +                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
>>> +                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
>>> +                )"
>>
>>    I'm personally more in favour of sourcing ${BUILDROOT_CONFIG} and using
>> "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" directly.
>
> We can't simply source .config from shell scripts. .config may contain
> constructs of the form:
>      BR2_HOST_DIR="$(BASE_DIR)/host"
>
> which would ultimately try to call a command named 'BASE_DIR' which is
> obviously wrong for virtually everybody on Earth (and probably other
> planets, too).

  Ah, yes, that's why I prefer to put ${...} references in .config 
(${...} is the same as $(...) in GNU make).

  But there are about 10 references to $(...) in Config.in defaults, so 
changing that is a bit too heavy.


> So, I kept a sed expression to extract the password encoding method form
> the .config.
>
> Note: I applied most of your suggestions, and added your ACK, as per your
> initial mail. I hope it will be still valid once you see the nes script! ;-)

  No problem.

  Regards,
  Arnout
diff mbox

Patch

diff --git a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
index 41a94d7..aa938b6 100644
--- a/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/adding-packages-generic.txt
@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@  system is based on hand-written Makefiles or shell scripts.
 35:	/bin/foo  f  4755  0  0	 -  -  -  -  -
 36: endef
 37:
-38: $(eval $(generic-package))
+38: define LIBFOO_USERS
+39:	foo -1 libfoo -1 * - - - LibFoo daemon
+40: endef
+41:
+42: $(eval $(generic-package))
 --------------------------------
 
 The Makefile begins on line 6 to 10 with metadata information: the
@@ -134,7 +138,10 @@  On line 29..31, we define a device-node file used by this package
 On line 33..35, we define the permissions to set to specific files
 installed by this package (+LIBFOO_PERMISSIONS+).
 
-Finally, on line 37, we call the +generic-package+ function, which
+On lines 38..40, we define a user that is used by this package (eg.
+to run a daemon as non-root) (+LIBFOO_USERS+).
+
+Finally, on line 42, we call the +generic-package+ function, which
 generates, according to the variables defined previously, all the
 Makefile code necessary to make your package working.
 
@@ -299,6 +306,11 @@  information is (assuming the package name is +libfoo+) :
   You can find some documentation for this syntax in the xref:makedev-syntax[].
   This variable is optional.
 
+* +LIBFOO_USERS+ lists the users to create for this package, if it installs
+  a program you want to run as a specific user (eg. as a daemon, or as a
+  cron-job). The syntax is similar in spirit to the makedevs one, and is
+  described in the xref:makeuser-syntax[]. This variable is optional.
+
 * +LIBFOO_LICENSE+ defines the license (or licenses) under which the package
   is released.
   This name will appear in the manifest file produced by +make legal-info+.
diff --git a/docs/manual/appendix.txt b/docs/manual/appendix.txt
index 6f1e9f3..63b172b 100644
--- a/docs/manual/appendix.txt
+++ b/docs/manual/appendix.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@  Appendix
 ========
 
 include::makedev-syntax.txt[]
+include::makeusers-syntax.txt[]
 
 [[package-list]]
 Available packages
diff --git a/docs/manual/makeusers-syntax.txt b/docs/manual/makeusers-syntax.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2199654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/manual/makeusers-syntax.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@ 
+// -*- mode:doc -*- ;
+
+[[makeuser-syntax]]
+Makeuser syntax documentation
+-----------------------------
+
+The syntax to create users is inspired by the makedev syntax, above, but
+is specific to Buildroot.
+
+The syntax for adding a user is a space-separated list of fields, one
+user per line; the fields are:
+
+|=================================================================
+|username |uid |group |gid |password |home |shell |groups |comment
+|=================================================================
+
+Where:
+
+- +username+ is the desired user name (aka login name) for the user.
+  It can not be +root+, and must be unique.
+- +uid+ is the desired UID for the user. It must be unique, and not
+  +0+. If set to +-1+, then a unique UID will be computed by Buildroot
+  in the range [1000...1999]
+- +group+ is the desired name for the user's main group. It can not
+  be +root+. If the group does not exist, it will be created.
+- +gid+ is the desired GID for the user's main group. It must be unique,
+  and not +0+. If set to +-1+, and the group does not already exist, then
+  a unique GID will be computed by Buildroot in the range [1000..1999]
+- +password+ is the crypt(3)-encoded password. If prefixed with +!+,
+  then login is disabled. If prefixed with +=+, then it is interpreted
+  as clear-text, and will be crypt-encoded (using MD5). If prefixed with
+  +!=+, then the password will be crypt-encoded (using MD5) and login
+  will be disabled. If set to +*+, then login is not allowed.
+- +home+ is the desired home directory for the user. If set to '-', no
+  home directory will be created, and the user's home will be +/+.
+  Explicitly setting +home+ to +/+ is not allowed.
+- +shell+ is the desired shell for the user. If set to +-+, then
+  +/bin/false+ is set as the user's shell.
+- +groups+ is the comma-separated list of additional groups the user
+  should be part of. If set to +-+, then the user will be a member of
+  no additional group. Missing groups will be created with an arbitrary
+  +gid+.
+- +comment+ (aka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecos_field[GECOS]
+  field) is an almost-free-form text.
+
+There are a few restrictions on the content of each field:
+
+* except for +comment+, all fields are mandatory.
+* except for +comment+, fields may not contain spaces.
+* no field may contain a colon (+:+).
+
+If +home+ is not +-+, then the home directory, and all files below,
+will belong to the user and its main group.
+
+Examples:
+
+----
+foo -1 bar -1 !=blabla /home/foo /bin/sh alpha,bravo Foo user
+----
+
+This will create this user:
+
+- +username+ (aka login name) is: +foo+
+- +uid+ is computed by Buildroot
+- main +group+ is: +bar+
+- main group +gid+ is computed by Buildroot
+- clear-text +password+ is: +blabla+, will be crypt(3)-encoded, and login is disabled.
+- +home+ is: +/home/foo+
+- +shell+ is: +/bin/sh+
+- +foo+ is also a member of +groups+: +alpha+ and +bravo+
+- +comment+ is: +Foo user+
+
+----
+test 8000 wheel -1 = - /bin/sh - Test user
+----
+
+This will create this user:
+
+- +username+ (aka login name) is: +test+
+- +uid+ is : +8000+
+- main +group+ is: +wheel+
+- main group +gid+ is computed by Buildroot, and will use the value defined in the rootfs skeleton
+- +password+ is empty (aka no password).
+- +home+ is +/+ but will not belong to +test+
+- +shell+ is: +/bin/sh+
+- +test+ is not a member of any additional +groups+
+- +comment+ is: +Test user+
diff --git a/fs/common.mk b/fs/common.mk
index 8b5b2f2..a8279b1 100644
--- a/fs/common.mk
+++ b/fs/common.mk
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@  FAKEROOT_SCRIPT = $(BUILD_DIR)/_fakeroot.fs
 FULL_DEVICE_TABLE = $(BUILD_DIR)/_device_table.txt
 ROOTFS_DEVICE_TABLES = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_ROOTFS_DEVICE_TABLE)) \
 	$(call qstrip,$(BR2_ROOTFS_STATIC_DEVICE_TABLE))
+USERS_TABLE = $(BUILD_DIR)/_users_table.txt
 
 define ROOTFS_TARGET_INTERNAL
 
@@ -55,6 +56,8 @@  endif
 	printf '$$(subst $$(sep),\n,$$(PACKAGES_PERMISSIONS_TABLE))' >> $$(FULL_DEVICE_TABLE)
 	echo "$$(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/makedevs -d $$(FULL_DEVICE_TABLE) $$(TARGET_DIR)" >> $$(FAKEROOT_SCRIPT)
 endif
+	printf '$(subst $(sep),\n,$(PACKAGES_USERS))' > $(USERS_TABLE)
+	$(TOPDIR)/support/scripts/mkusers $(USERS_TABLE) $(TARGET_DIR) >> $(FAKEROOT_SCRIPT)
 	echo "$$(ROOTFS_$(2)_CMD)" >> $$(FAKEROOT_SCRIPT)
 	chmod a+x $$(FAKEROOT_SCRIPT)
 	$$(HOST_DIR)/usr/bin/fakeroot -- $$(FAKEROOT_SCRIPT)
diff --git a/package/pkg-generic.mk b/package/pkg-generic.mk
index 19a115e..e095100 100644
--- a/package/pkg-generic.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-generic.mk
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@  ifeq ($$($$($(2)_KCONFIG_VAR)),y)
 TARGETS += $(1)
 PACKAGES_PERMISSIONS_TABLE += $$($(2)_PERMISSIONS)$$(sep)
 PACKAGES_DEVICES_TABLE += $$($(2)_DEVICES)$$(sep)
+PACKAGES_USERS += $$($(2)_USERS)$$(sep)
 
 ifeq ($$($(2)_SITE_METHOD),svn)
 DL_TOOLS_DEPENDENCIES += svn
diff --git a/support/scripts/mkusers b/support/scripts/mkusers
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d98714c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/scripts/mkusers
@@ -0,0 +1,371 @@ 
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+myname="${0##*/}"
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Configurable items
+MIN_UID=1000
+MAX_UID=1999
+MIN_GID=1000
+MAX_GID=1999
+# No more is configurable below this point
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+error() {
+    local fmt="${1}"
+    shift
+
+    printf "%s: " "${myname}" >&2
+    printf "${fmt}" "${@}" >&2
+}
+fail() {
+    error "$@"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+if [ ${#} -ne 2 ]; then
+    fail "usage: %s USERS_TBLE TARGET_DIR\n"
+fi
+USERS_TABLE="${1}"
+TARGET_DIR="${2}"
+shift 2
+PASSWD="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/passwd"
+SHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/shadow"
+GROUP="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/group"
+# /etc/gsahdow is not part of the standard skeleton, so not everybody
+# will have it, but some may hav it, and its content must be in sync
+# with /etc/group, so any use of gshadow must be conditional.
+GSHADOW="${TARGET_DIR}/etc/gshadow"
+PASSWD_METHOD="$( sed -r -e '/^BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD="(.)*"$/!d' \
+                         -e 's//\1/;'                                       \
+                         "${BUILDROOT_CONFIG}"                              \
+                )"
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_uid() {
+    local username="${1}"
+
+    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_ugid() {
+    local username="${1}"
+
+    awk -F: '$1=="'"${username}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $4 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_gid() {
+    local group="${1}"
+
+    awk -F: '$1=="'"${group}"'" { printf( "%d\n", $3 ); }' "${GROUP}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_username() {
+    local uid="${1}"
+
+    awk -F: '$3=="'"${uid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${PASSWD}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_group() {
+    local gid="${1}"
+
+    awk -F: '$3=="'"${gid}"'" { printf( "%s\n", $1 ); }' "${GROUP}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+get_ugroup() {
+    local username="${1}"
+    local ugid
+
+    ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
+    if [ -n "${ugid}" ]; then
+        get_group "${ugid}"
+    fi
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Sanity-check the new user/group:
+#   - check the gid is not already used for another group
+#   - check the group does not already exist with another gid
+#   - check the user does not already exist with another gid
+#   - check the uid is not already used for another user
+#   - check the user does not already exist with another uid
+#   - check the user does not already exist in another group
+check_user_validity() {
+    local username="${1}"
+    local uid="${2}"
+    local group="${3}"
+    local gid="${4}"
+    local _uid _ugid _gid _username _group _ugroup
+
+    _group="$( get_group "${gid}" )"
+    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
+    _ugid="$( get_ugid "${username}" )"
+    _username="$( get_username "${uid}" )"
+    _uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
+    _ugroup="$( get_ugroup "${username}" )"
+
+    if [ "${username}" = "root" ]; then
+        fail "invalid username '%s\n'" "${username}"
+    fi
+
+    if [ ${gid} -lt -1 -o ${gid} -eq 0 ]; then
+        fail "invalid gid '%d'\n" ${gid}
+    elif [ ${gid} -ne -1 ]; then
+        # check the gid is not already used for another group
+        if [ -n "${_group}" -a "${_group}" != "${group}" ]; then
+            fail "gid is already used by group '${_group}'\n"
+        fi
+
+        # check the group does not already exists with another gid
+        if [ -n "${_gid}" -a ${_gid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
+            fail "group already exists with gid '${_gid}'\n"
+        fi
+
+        # check the user does not already exists with another gid
+        if [ -n "${_ugid}" -a ${_ugid} -ne ${gid} ]; then
+            fail "user already exists with gid '${_ugid}'\n"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if [ ${uid} -lt -1 -o ${uid} -eq 0 ]; then
+        fail "invalid uid '%d'\n" ${uid}
+    elif [ ${uid} -ne -1 ]; then
+        # check the uid is not already used for another user
+        if [ -n "${_username}" -a "${_username}" != "${username}" ]; then
+            fail "uid is already used by user '${_username}'\n"
+        fi
+
+        # check the user does not already exists with another uid
+        if [ -n "${_uid}" -a ${_uid} -ne ${uid} ]; then
+            fail "user already exists with uid '${_uid}'\n"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # check the user does not already exist in another group
+    if [ -n "${_ugroup}" -a "${_ugroup}" != "${group}" ]; then
+        fail "user already exists with group '${_ugroup}'\n"
+    fi
+
+    return 0
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Generate a unique GID for given group. If the group already exists,
+# then simply report its current GID. Otherwise, generate the lowest GID
+# that is:
+#   - not 0
+#   - comprised in [MIN_GID..MAX_GID]
+#   - not already used by a group
+generate_gid() {
+    local group="${1}"
+    local gid
+
+    gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
+    if [ -z "${gid}" ]; then
+        for(( gid=MIN_GID; gid<=MAX_GID; gid++ )); do
+            if [ -z "$( get_group "${gid}" )" ]; then
+                break
+            fi
+        done
+        if [ ${gid} -gt ${MAX_GID} ]; then
+            fail "can not allocate a GID for group '%s'\n" "${group}"
+        fi
+    fi
+    printf "%d\n" "${gid}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Add a group; if it does already exist, remove it first
+add_one_group() {
+    local group="${1}"
+    local gid="${2}"
+    local _f
+
+    # Generate a new GID if needed
+    if [ ${gid} -eq -1 ]; then
+        gid="$( generate_gid "${group}" )"
+    fi
+
+    # Remove any previous instance of this group
+    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
+        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
+        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${group}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
+    done
+
+    printf "%s:x:%d:\n" "${group}" "${gid}" >>"${GROUP}"
+    if [ -f "${GSHADOW}" ]; then
+        printf "%s:*::\n" "${group}" >>"${GSHADOW}"
+    fi
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Generate a unique UID for given username. If the username already exists,
+# then simply report its current UID. Otherwise, generate the lowest UID
+# that is:
+#   - not 0
+#   - comprised in [MIN_UID..MAX_UID]
+#   - not already used by a user
+generate_uid() {
+    local username="${1}"
+    local uid
+
+    uid="$( get_uid "${username}" )"
+    if [ -z "${uid}" ]; then
+        for(( uid=MIN_UID; uid<=MAX_UID; uid++ )); do
+            if [ -z "$( get_username "${uid}" )" ]; then
+                break
+            fi
+        done
+        if [ ${uid} -gt ${MAX_UID} ]; then
+            fail "can not allocate a UID for user '%s'\n" "${username}"
+        fi
+    fi
+    printf "%d\n" "${uid}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Add given user to given group, if not already the case
+add_user_to_group() {
+    local username="${1}"
+    local group="${2}"
+    local _f
+
+    for _f in "${GROUP}" "${GSHADOW}"; do
+        [ -f "${_f}" ] || continue
+        sed -r -i -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*:)(([^:]+,)?)'"${username}"'(,[^:]+*)?$/\1\2\4/;'  \
+                  -e 's/^('"${group}"':.*)$/\1,'"${username}"'/;'                           \
+                  -e 's/,+/,/'                                                              \
+                  -e 's/:,/:/'                                                              \
+                  "${_f}"
+    done
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Encode a password
+encode_password() {
+    local passwd="${1}"
+
+    mkpasswd -m "${BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_PASSWD_METHOD}" "${passwd}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Add a user; if it does already exist, remove it first
+add_one_user() {
+    local username="${1}"
+    local uid="${2}"
+    local group="${3}"
+    local gid="${4}"
+    local passwd="${5}"
+    local home="${6}"
+    local shell="${7}"
+    local groups="${8}"
+    local comment="${9}"
+    local nb_days="$((($(date +%s)+(24*60*60-1))/(24*60*60)))"
+    local _f _group _home _shell _gid _passwd
+
+    # First, sanity-check the user
+    check_user_validity "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}"
+
+    # Generate a new UID if needed
+    if [ ${uid} -eq -1 ]; then
+        uid="$( generate_uid "${username}" )"
+    fi
+
+    # Remove any previous instance of this user
+    for _f in "${PASSWD}" "${SHADOW}"; do
+        sed -r -i -e '/^'"${username}"':.*/d;' "${_f}"
+    done
+
+    _gid="$( get_gid "${group}" )"
+    _shell="${shell}"
+    if [ "${shell}" = "-" ]; then
+        _shell="/bin/false"
+    fi
+    case "${home}" in
+        -)  _home="/";;
+        /)  fail "home can not explicitly be '/'\n";;
+        /*) _home="${home}";;
+        *)  fail "home must be an absolute path\n";;
+    esac
+    case "${passwd}" in
+        !=*)
+            _passwd='!'"$( encode_passwd "${passwd#!=}" )"
+            ;;
+        =*)
+            _passwd="$( encode_passwd "${passwd#=}" )"
+            ;;
+        *)
+            _passwd="${passwd}"
+            ;;
+    esac
+
+    printf "%s:x:%d:%d:%s:%s:%s\n"              \
+           "${username}" "${uid}" "${_gid}"     \
+           "${comment}" "${_home}" "${_shell}"  \
+           >>"${PASSWD}"
+    printf "%s:%s:%d:0:99999:7:::\n"                \
+           "${username}" "${_passwd}" "${nb_days}"  \
+           >>"${SHADOW}"
+
+    # Add the user to its additional groups
+    if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
+        for _group in ${groups//,/ }; do
+            add_user_to_group "${username}" "${_group}"
+        done
+    fi
+
+    # If the user has a home, chown it
+    # (Note: stdout goes to the fakeroot-script)
+    if [ "${home}" != "-" ]; then
+        mkdir -p "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
+        printf "chown -R %d:%d '%s'\n" "${uid}" "${_gid}" "${TARGET_DIR}/${home}"
+    fi
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+main() {
+    local username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment
+
+    # Some sanity checks
+    if [ ${MIN_UID} -le 0 ]; then
+        fail "MIN_UID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_UID}
+    fi
+    if [ ${MIN_GID} -le 0 ]; then
+        fail "MIN_GID must be >0 (currently %d)\n" ${MIN_GID}
+    fi
+
+    # First, create all the main groups
+    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
+        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
+        add_one_group "${group}" "${gid}"
+    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
+
+    # Then, create all the additional groups
+    # If any additional group is already a main group, we should use
+    # the gid of that main group; otherwise, we can use any gid
+    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
+        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
+        if [ "${groups}" != "-" ]; then
+            for g in ${groups//,/ }; do
+                add_one_group "${g}" -1
+            done
+        fi
+    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
+
+    # Finally, add users
+    while read username uid group gid passwd home shell groups comment; do
+        [ -n "${username}" ] || continue    # Package with no user
+        add_one_user "${username}" "${uid}" "${group}" "${gid}" "${passwd}" \
+                     "${home}" "${shell}" "${groups}" "${comment}"
+    done <"${USERS_TABLE}"
+}
+
+#----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+main "${@}"