IBM Support

Running the Syslogd probe as a normal user on Linux

Question & Answer


Question

How do you configured the Syslogd probe (nco_p_syslogd) to run as a normal user on Linux?

Cause

The default syslog port is 514, which requires root access.

Answer

It is recommended to use a process control process running as root to run any probes that require root access as root, rather than alter the operating systems security.
You can force the 64-bit probe binary to be used, by renaming the 32-bit binary:
cd $NCHOME/omnibus/probes/linux2x86
mv nco_p_syslogd nco_p_syslogd.GA
You can then leave out adding the 32-bit libraries to the /etc/ld.so.conf file, and the Netcool/OMNIbus required 32-bit libraries to the operating system.
To configure the nco_p_syslogd probe run as non-root, using 32-bit or 64-bit perform the following steps:
As root:

export NCHOME
NCHOME=/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool
chown root $NCHOME/omnibus/platform/linux2x86/probes64/nco_p_syslogd
chmod +s $NCHOME/omnibus/platform/linux2x86/probes64/nco_p_syslogd
chown root $NCHOME/omnibus/probes/linux2x86/nco_p_syslogd
chmod +s $NCHOME/omnibus/probes/linux2x86/nco_p_syslogd

ls -l  $NCHOME/omnibus/platform/linux2x86/probes64/nco_p_syslogd
-rwsr-sr-x 1 root ncoadmin 207165 Jul  4  2017 nco_p_syslogd
ls -l $NCHOME/omnibus/probes/linux2x86/nco_p_syslogd
-rwsr-sr-x 1 root ncoadmin 173441 Jul  4  2017 nco_p_syslogd
Update the /etc/ld.so.conf file to include the required Netcool/OMNIbus library paths.

cat  /etc/ld.so.conf
include ld.so.conf.d/*.conf
/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/omnibus/platform/linux2x86/lib
/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/platform/linux2x86/lib
/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/omnibus/platform/linux2x86/lib64
/opt/IBM/tivoli/netcool/platform/linux2x86/lib64
# EOF
cd $NCHOME/omnibus/probes
ldconfig -v
To test the probes usage:
As non-root
$NCHOME/omnibus/probes/nco_p_syslogd -messagelog stdout -udpport 5140
netstat -na | grep 5140
udp        0      0 0.0.0.0:5140            0.0.0.0:*
$NCHOME/omnibus/probes/nco_p_syslogd -messagelog stdout
netstat -na | grep 514
udp        0      0 0.0.0.0:514             0.0.0.0:*

[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Product":{"code":"SSSHTQ","label":"Tivoli Netcool\/OMNIbus"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m500000008ZzqAAE","label":"Probes->1 Individual Probes->Syslog nco_p_syslog[d]"}],"ARM Case Number":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"}],"Version":"All Versions"}]

Document Information

Modified date:
22 June 2021

UID

ibm16465871

Page Feedback