which Linux?

[Bob Sneidar]

I administer both Windows and Apple servers. Some time ago Apple finally, after years of using POSIX permissions only (the permission scheme that all UNIX file systems use) implemented ACL permissions, the type Windows uses. While not exactly like windows, it was a marked improvement for servers, because new files on a server using POSIX were read/write for the owner, and read only for everyone else, never mind what the parent permissions were. This made folders for multiple users an incredible pain. 

Until the last couple of years, workstation OS's used POSIX only permissions, but now they too have adopted ACL's. The trick is inheritance. It appears to be the case that workstation OS's still do not properly inherit the permissions of the parent folder, but of the creator. The reason most people do not see this is because the creator is typically the only person accessing the files, and because he is the owner, he has read/write to everything he creates. 

The problem only becomes an issue when you are using file servers, or sharing files from your workstation. (Perhaps also when moving a file from a read only location to a read/write one as well). File servers have the option now of using parent folder inheritance. Prior to that, I was almost obliged to use Windows servers for file sharing. To my knowledge there is no way to change the inheritance behavior of a workstation OS. 

Bob


On Jul 3, 2012, at 11:59 PM, Peter Alcibiades wrote:

> I have never, ever had to have a user change permissions in a terminal. 
> Never.  And this goes back around 10 years.  
> 
> What does sometimes happen is that when an email attachment arrives, and the
> user saves it to another folder, it may be marked read only.  Or, when
> he/she opens such an attachment in OpenOffice it will be opened as read
> only.  
> 
> So then they just use the file manager to change the permission.  Why would
> you have them use a terminal?  I do myself but why put ordinary people
> through it any more than you would in Windows? Or in OpenOffice they do save
> as.   
> 
> Yes, you have to explain this.  I just tell them it may seem a bit
> irritating, but its just the system being paranoid about security, and
> no-one has ever been bothered by it.
> 
> Needing to change executability is very very rare, because of course all
> application installations are being done through the package manager. 
> Livecode apps are different in this respect.  Presumably when people package
> their Livecode Linux apps for distribution they include a shell script which
> does all this stuff....?   
> 
> Peter
> 
> 
> slylabs13 wrote
>> 
>> And can I say, after over 20 years of IT experience that the unix/linux
>> file permissions are as inane a thing as I think I have ever seen? 
>> 
>> Really? They want end users to have to edit the permissions for all the
>> files they create?? In a TERMINAL??? Really????? 
>> 
>> Bob
>> 
>> 
>> On Jul 3, 2012, at 1:42 PM, Warren Samples wrote:
>> 
>>> On 07/03/2012 03:30 PM, Colin Holgate wrote:
>>>> All the options in Permissions are grayed out. It says the owner is
>>>> "root".
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Open a terminal and type:
>>> 
>>> sudo chown <your user> <path to file>
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Replace <your user> with your user's name. Type the root password at the
>>> prompt. Should do it.
>>> 
>>> Good luck,
>>> 
>>> Warren
>>> 
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