rootpretender

Rootpretender is a software system designed to provide Unix users with special file manipulation capabilities. This includes the creation of block special and character special device nodes as well as unlimited chown()ing of files for non-root users. This is accomplished by simulating these actions through fake file operations. For instance, chown() commands are not executed, and mknod() creates regular files rather than device nodes. These actions are stored so that the next time a process under rootpretender's control queries the file with stat() or a similar system call, the fake data is retrieved.

To use rootpretender, the software employs LD_PRELOAD and comes with patches for rsync 2.6.6 and rsync 2.6.9, which are useful for systems without LD_PRELOAD support. These patches enable users to copy file ownership and device nodes even if they have no root access to the target system.

Rootpretender has recently updated to include new features such as a binary format for fake directories, mknod() support, and integration with rsync-2.6.6 and rsync-2.6.9. These changes improve the functionality of rootpretender and better equip users with the ability to manipulate files without root access.