I know the smpatch utility has the set-uid 0 bit on it, so I'm wondering what privileges does it take to use this tool? I don't have to be root do I? How can I let a normal account do maintenance?

Thanks in advance.

to add patches you need root or a user with the right to add patches due to RBAC.

Ok, so how do I give a user those privileges?

TIA

here is a good start to learn about RBAC:
Less known Solaris features: RBAC and Privileges - c0t0d0s0.org
RBAC: An Alternative to the Superuser Model (System Administration Guide: Security Services) - Sun Microsystems

Thank you for the links.

I've read through them both, but I don't see them mention using RBAC in conjunction with installing patches, only installing software.

I added "Software Installation" rights to a user, and now instead of telling me I don't have the rights to perform a task using smpatch, I get "open error for lock file" over and over.

Any ideas?