RFC: New section for the Unix Basics chapter.

[Simon L. Nielsen]

On 2003.06.19 14:44:21 -0400, Tom Rhodes wrote:

> In this email I have a patch to add information on symbolic permissions
> to the Unix Basics chapter of our handbook.  Now I'm a little wierd on
> the table output and I know that it could use a few more <literal>
> tags, but I wanted to get a general idea before I put more work into
> it.
> 
> Comments, suggestions, death threats welcome.  Thanks!

A few minor style/docbook sugestions in attached patch. General comments
below.

> --- chapter.sgml	Thu Jun 19 14:39:43 2003
> +++ chapter.sgml.new	Thu Jun 19 14:07:59 2003
[CUT]
+	  <row>
+	    <entry>(permissions)</entry>
+	    <entry>s</entry>
+	    <entry>SUID or SGID</entry>
+	  </row>

Set UID / Set GID or something a bit more verbose perhaps ?

[CUT]
> +    <para>These values are used with the <command>chmod</command> command
> +      just like before, but with letters.  For an example, you could use
> +      the following command to block other users from accessing the files
> +      in your home directory:</para>
> +
> +    <screen>&prompt.user;<userinput>chmod go= *</userinput></screen>

I think this is a bad example since it really doesn't prevent others
from reading e.g. dotfiles and the directory content. This section is
targeting newbies I think it's better not to let them think they can
"secure" a directory this way.  I think a simple example with some
random file would be fine - like the next example.

> +    <para>A comma separated list can be provided when more than one set
> +      of changes to a file must be made.  For example the following command
> +      will remove the groups and <quote>world</quote> write permission

When referencing world here (which I think is OK) I think "(World)" or
something like that should be added group option in the table.

> +    <para>Most users will do not notice this, but it should be pointed out
> +      that using the octal method will only set or assign permissions to
> +      a file; it does not add or delete them.  This means that the octal
> +      method does not have an equivalent option to the following command:</para>
> +
> +    <screen>&prompt.root; <userinput>chmod u+rw <replaceable>FILE</replaceable></userinput></screen>
> +
> +    <para>The closest octal value would be <literal>0600</literal> and it would not
> +      be the same.</para>
> +    </sect2>

I must say that I'm not really sure what you are trying to say here.

Mode 0600 would be the same as (the rather obscure) "chmod
u+rw-sx,go-swrx"...

Just my 0.02 DKR, use a you like :).

-- 
Simon L. Nielsen
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