Weird file permission problem

[Andreas Hoeschler]

Hi all,

I have a weird problem and am stuck. I have written a small GNUstep 
tool that is called by postfix to handle the arrival of emails for a 
specific email address. This tool is run as user nobody, so it seems. 
The tool creates a TCP connection to anotehr (service) tool that is run 
as root and sends a message to this tool to cause the execution of a 
method. In the service tool and in this service method I make use of

      NSString *string = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:mimeData 
encoding:NSISOLatin1StringEncoding];

This line produces the following error. Note that glunzmailfilter is 
the tool run by postfix (as user nobody).

Command died with status 1:
    "/Library/SmartObjects/bin/glunzmailfilter". Command output: 
Warning -
    GNUSTEP_SYSTEM_ROOT is not set - using /opt/GNUstep/System 
2004-02-27
    20:28:27.989 glunzmailfilter[3494] File NSUserDefaults.m: 770. In
    [NSUserDefaults -initWithContentsOfFile:] Path '/GNUstep/Defaults' 
is not
    writable - making user defaults for 
'/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults'
    read-only 2004-02-27 20:28:27.993 glunzmailfilter[3494] File 
NSData.m: 153.
    In readContentsOfFile Open (/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults) 
attempt
    failed - Permission denied 2004-02-27 20:28:27.993 
glunzmailfilter[3494]
    Unable to load defaults from '/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults'
    2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] File 
NSUserDefaults.m: 770.
    In [NSUserDefaults -initWithContentsOfFile:] Path 
'/GNUstep/Defaults' is
    not writable - making user defaults for
    '/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults'  read-only 2004-02-27 
20:28:27.994
    glunzmailfilter[3494] File NSData.m: 153. In readContentsOfFile Open
    (/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults) attempt failed - Permission 
denied
    2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] Unable to load 
defaults from
    '/GNUstep/Defaults/.GNUstepDefaults' 2004-02-27 20:28:27.994
    glunzmailfilter[3494] WARNING - unable to create shared user 
defaults!
    2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] No path specified for 
bundle
    2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] Problem locating 
framework
    FBEnterprise 2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] No path
    specified for bundle 2004-02-27 20:28:27.994 glunzmailfilter[3494] 
Problem
    locating framework FBAccess 
/Library/SmartObjects/bin/glunzmailfilter:
    Uncaught exception NSInvalidArgumentException, reason:
    GSDictionary(instance) does not recognize length
Reporting-MTA: dns; sunfire.smartsoft.de
Arrival-Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 20:28:27 +0100 (MET)

I am wondering how this can lead to any problem. I mean the tool in 
which this statement is executed is run as root and it can execute the 
same command during initialization. The error only occurs when the 
method is called in response to a message received from the mail filter 
tool. How can this make a difference? This is so weird. Any ideas?

Regards,

   Andreas