I cannot duplicate this problem. How are you installing the package? # apt-get install netrek-server-vanilla Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following extra packages will be installed: libgmp3c2 The following NEW packages will be installed: libgmp3c2 netrek-server-vanilla 0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 923kB/1358kB of archives. After this operation, 3396kB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y WARNING: The following packages cannot be authenticated! netrek-server-vanilla Install these packages without verification [y/N]? y Get:1 http://ppa.launchpad.net hardy/main netrek-server-vanilla 2.13.0ubuntu0.3 [923kB] Fetched 923kB in 7s (131kB/s) Preconfiguring packages ... Selecting previously deselected package libgmp3c2. (Reading database ... 13344 files and directories currently installed.) Unpacking libgmp3c2 (from .../libgmp3c2_2%3a4.2.2+dfsg-1ubuntu2_i386.deb) ... Selecting previously deselected package netrek-server-vanilla. Unpacking netrek-server-vanilla (from .../netrek-server-vanilla_2.13.0ubuntu0.3_i386.deb) ... Setting up libgmp3c2 (2:4.2.2+dfsg-1ubuntu2) ... Setting up netrek-server-vanilla (2.13.0ubuntu0.3) ... Processing triggers for libc6 ... ldconfig deferred processing now taking place /# echo $? 0 -- server runs as root unecessarily https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/272338 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Netrek Server Team, which is a direct subscriber. Status in Netrek Server: In Progress Bug description: The server runs as root, but it does not need to. To run as non-root, the packaging should create a username to operate within, and chmod /var/lib/netrek-server-vanilla, and the init.d script should use the created username. A username of netrek is suggested.