Arch Linux

pppd is unusable when called by non-root user via wvdial or its frontends (e.g. gnome-ppp) instead of using rc.d/ppp

1) {chap,pap}-secrets are unavailable for uucp group (which owns devices like /dev/tts/USB0)
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> Starting pppd at Thu Jul 17 15:38:59 2008
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> Warning: Could not modify /etc/ppp/pap-secrets: Permission denied
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> --> PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) may be flaky.
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> Warning: Could not modify /etc/ppp/chap-secrets: Permission denied
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> --> CHAP (Challenge Handshake) may be flaky.
because of:
# ls -l /etc/ppp/{chap,pap}-secrets
-rw------- 1 root root 96 Jul 17 15:34 /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
-rw------- 1 root root 95 Jul 17 15:34 /etc/ppp/pap-secrets

I think they should be 660 root:uucp

2) /usr/sbin/pppd cannot be used by non-root
it has 0555 permissions and root:root ownership
but needs to be 4550 (suid) root:uucp to be usable by non-root user from uucp group (and not other users)

GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> Pid of pppd: 16413
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> Disconnecting at Thu Jul 17 15:54:06 2008
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> The PPP daemon has died: No root priv error (exit code = 3)
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> man pppd explains pppd error codes in more detail.
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> I guess that's it for now, exiting
GNOME PPP: STDERR: --> The PPP daemon has died. (exit code = 3)