🚀 go-pugleaf

Peter T. Caffin (ptcaffin@uniwa.uwa.edu.au) wrote:
> : rm -f ~/.article               # the user can do this because they have
> :                                  write permission on their own home
> :                                  directory.
> : mv ~/.article.bak ~/.article

> I had the impression that with UNIX as with most OS's, directories are 
> simply files that contain a list of files and address locations.  You can 
> change the ownership of a directory, therefore, you can change the 
> ownership of a file.

You can change the ownership of he file but the ownership of the file does
not determine who can erase it. The ownership of the directory in which the
file resides determines that. Hence I can delete any file you put in my
directory.

> : (btw, which news system uses a ~/.article file to control posting
> : access?  I don't know of any, but I don't have total knowledge of every
> : news software)

> Well, the message every time I post from tin is:

> Saving to: ~\.article

> I also found that unless I saved my work to this file, the message didn't 
> get posted.  I think it's a transitory file between the editor and the 
> newsreader..

Exactly. And easily changed too.

> Apologies if the method was flawed; I hope my general point got across, 
> though.

Yup, but doing what you propose is difficult.

-- 
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[ Kevin Lentin                   |___/~\__/~\___/~~~~\__/~\__/~\_| ]
[ kevinl@bruce.cs.monash.edu.au  |___/~\/~\_____/~\______/~\/~\__| ]
[ Macintrash: 'Just say NO!'     |___/~\__/~\___/~~~~\____/~~\___| ]
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