Conference smurf::dec_mls_plus

467.0. "output redirection in cron problem" by RHETT::MOORE () Fri Mar 28 1997 09:46

More on the problem with output redirection from cron.

This is MLS+ V3.1A with patch kit form 19 Nov 96.

When redirecting output from a script called from crontab, the output does not
go to the file that the output is being redirected to,

The following procedure produced no output to the ".lis" files.  When called
directly from a decterm window, there is output.

audit_tool -o -B -e login -e open:0:1  /audit/auditlog.simba.129* > \
 /home/major/audit/simba.129.lis
lpr /home/major/audit/simba.129.lis
#rm /home/major/audit/simba.129.lis
cp /audit/auditlog.simba.129  /audit/saved/auditlog.simba.$1
*rm /audit/auditlog.simba.129
audit_tool -o -B -e login -e open:0:1  /audit/auditlog.simba.130* > \
 /home/major/audit/simba.130.lis
lpr /home/major/audit/simba.130.lis
#rm /home/major/audit/simba.130.lis
cp /audit/auditlog.simba.130  /audit/saved/auditlog.simba.$1
*rm /audit/auditlog.simba.130
audit_tool -o -B -e login -e open:0:1  /audit/auditlog.simba.131* > \
 /home/major/audit/simba.131.lis
lpr /home/major/audit/simba.131.lis
#rm /home/major/audit/simba.131.lis
cp /audit/auditlog.simba.131  /audit/saved/auditlog.simba.$1
*rm /audit/auditlog.simba.131
rm /audit/*.hdr

Also, when running audit_tool, sometimes not all output goes 
to the file indicated by the redirection symbol ">".

    Hi Martin,
    
    I'm answering the easiest one first (the one to which I think I can
    guess the answer without having to go read code or play with the system
    :-) -- of course, I could be wrong... so watch out!)
    
    audit_tool was modified to comply with ITSEC requirement about
    dominance somewhere in some patch to V3.1A.  
    
    When you run audit_tool, even if you are root running with
    allowmacaccess priv, your process SL must dominate the SL of the data
    that it is going to write to standard out, or it won't write anything
    to stdout.
    
    When you put a job in crontab, it is run by cron at syslo by default.
    
    Since you are putting the job in crontab and not making it an at job,
    then you should be able to use the "epa" command to run audit_tool at
    syshi SL, e.g., try:
    
    /tcb/bin/epa -s syshi '/usr/sbin/audit_tool /var/audit/auditlog.n >
    /tmp/foo'
    
    or whatever. I would assume that the rest of the context (luid, uid,
    IL, etc.) would be 'root')
    
    
    

    They used the suggestion about epa and got it all working, though
    (according to the Digital rep) "it took a little work to get awk
    to recognize the string".  (I didn't ask for more details on this,
    as it's working.)
    
    We can consider this one closed.
    
    Thanks,
    Martin