Bug#648148: autopkgtest: Support running as user

[Jakub Wilk]

* Ian Jackson <ijackson at chiark.greenend.org.uk>, 2012-06-11, 01:55:
>Also, Jakub, you wrote:
>>(Setting TMPDIR was a mistake in the first place IMHO. This variable 
>>in POSIX has completely different semantics. Running a scripts that 
>>relied on the feature outside adt-run might lead to security holes.)
>
>I agree. However I'm not sure that we can just withdraw this. There 
>may be tests depending on it, and it's documented in the spec.
>
>I'm tempted to suggest:
>- Invent a new variable ADT_TMP that does what TMPDIR is specified to 
>do.
>- Continue to set TMPDIR, but to a subdirectory of $ADT_TMP but only 
>for tests which don't run as root on the testbed.

I don't think I understand this point. Why a subdirectory? Couldn't 
TMPDIR and ADT_TMP have the same value? Why special-case tests that 
don't run as root?

>- Change the spec to deprecate use of TMPDIR.
>- Change the manpages not to refer to TMPDIR any more.
>
>What do you think ?

I second the idea of deprecating TMPDIR and introducing another variable 
for this purpose.

-- 
Jakub Wilk