As the install fails even when SELinux is set to permissive mode, it does not seem to be a problem (one word of advice though: SELinux may cause significant performance hit on production systems, it's still not a complete product). But still, I suggest that you have a look at /var/log/audit/audit.log for possible AVC denials during that installation. The below command will show you the AVC denials for the day:

Code:

ausearch -m avc -ts today

The below command will show you the step you need to take to prevent the AVC denial:

Code:

sealert –a /var/log/audit/audit.log   # requires setroubleshoot-server to be installed

However, I would still look at the permissions. You said the installation failed, but with what error message? Can you post "ls -l" for the executable file? I see setuid bit is enabled, but is it an ELF binary file or a script one? Remember, setuid does not work on script files on modern systems. What file system does the external drive have?

Please post the required information and I might be able to help you out.

A poor man's SAN? I assume you actually meant a NAS considering the context. You can easily build up a Linux box as a NAS with NFS or SAMBA. There are lots of guides on this around the net. If you come across any issue or have a doubt, just drop in here. If you are not that comfortable with SELinux, just disable it by editing /etc/sysconfig/selinux and rebooting the machine. You may also disable the firewall (not recommended though, it's really easy to work with iptables, take a day to learn it and it's awesome).