setuid for yp make

[George A. Planansky]

I wish to allow non-root users to propogate changed Yellow Pages
databases, namely the passwd file data, from our Sun 3/280 server to 3/60
diskless clients, all running OS 4.01.  

As a first try, I made a script:

#! /bin/csh -b
chsh
(cd /etc/yp; make passwd)

and setuid'ed it, to its root owner.

QUESTIONs:

1. make nonetheless objects and bombs out, declaring that
it lacks write permission.  Why doesn't the setuid take care of
that?  What is the remedy?

2. I'm uneasy about invoking make via a setuid script.  Is it
as fraught as it seems?

George Planansky, Atmosphere Environment Research, Cambridge Mass.
617 547-6207
email:  gplan at ra.umb.edu