libre #freebsd

31 May 2026

Have fun, be civilized, respect each other | /join #freebsd-ops for help | FreeBSD Live: #freebsd-pulse

• 00:18
  ant-x
  In /etc/ssl/certs , I cannot create a new file with cat:
• 00:19
  ant-x
  # cat self.crt self.key > self.pem
• 00:19
  ant-x
  sh: cannot create self.pem: Permission denied
• 00:19
  ant-x
  Even though I can open, edit, and save self.pem in a text editor, also as root. Why?
• 01:56
  rwp
  ant-x, Works for me. Is self.pem actually a symlink to some place that is truly not writable?
• 01:57
  ant-x
  No, it is cat-related: I have done it by hand.
• 02:00
  ant-x
  No symlinks.
• 02:01
  ant-x
  As I said, I can create self.pem with ``vi self.pem`` or with ``touch self.pem'' (as root).
• 02:05
  rwp
  csh has a shell flag that prevents it overwriting files with > redirection. Is that set for you?
• 02:05
  ant-x
  I use sh.
• 02:07
  ant-x
  doas echo test > self.pem # fails, too.
• 02:07
  rwp
  set -o | grep clobber
• 02:07
  ant-x
  I am doing that under /etc/ssl/certs (perhaps it matters).
• 02:07
  rwp
  doas will not have any effect on a > redirection.
• 02:07
  ant-x
  Ooop!
• 02:07
  rwp
  What does "set -o | grep clobber" show?
• 02:08
  ant-x
  Unless I do something like eval?
• 02:08
  rwp
  You said you were already root so there is no need for doas.
• 02:09
  ant-x
  That explains it. This works: doas sh -c "echo test > self.pem"
• 02:09
  rwp
  However if you want to use doas to elevate a non-root process then: doas sh -c "echo foo > foo.txt"
• 02:09
  rwp
  Jinx!
• 02:09
  ant-x
  I said that to simplify things. I use doas to assume root. Beg pardon!@
• 02:09
  ant-x
  Yep. Thanks.
• 02:10
  ant-x
  That'll teach me to report things literally as they are.
• 02:10
  rwp
  I still think you must have the shell's noclobber option set.
• 02:11
  ant-x
  No, I don't (just checked). I have never heard of this options.