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Re: What could go wrong with this scenario?


From: Larry Jones
Subject: Re: What could go wrong with this scenario?
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 00:43:36 -0500 (EST)

Philip Lijnzaad writes:
> 
> > ...probably need to set the set-group-id (SGID) bit on the directories
> > in your repository (chmod g+s) -- that usually makes newly-created files
> > and directories get their gid from the parent directory instead of from
> > the creating process on systems where that doesn't happen by default...
> 
> > - usually?
> 
> yes, not all Unixen actually do this; it is a BSD thing, and used not to be
> available everywhere. IOW, check if it works. 

Not quite.  First, a bit of background:  In the beginning, Berkeley and
AT&T disagreed on the correct way to get the group ID for newly created
files and directories -- Berkeley thought it should come from the parent
directory, Bell Labs thought it should come from the creating process. 
Both camps had well reasoned arguments as to why they were right, but
neither was able to convice the other.  Thus, BSD Unix systems did it
the Berkeley way and AT&T Unix systems did it the Bell Labs way.  When
the grand Unix unification occurred, the Bell Labs way is what won out,
but most vendors recognized that many people wanted the Berkeley way,
and for good reason.  Thus, the SGID bit on directories was adopted as a
standard way of specifying that you want it.  But not all vendors
adopted it so, like he says, check if it works before relying on it.

-Larry Jones

I've got to start listening to those quiet, nagging doubts. -- Calvin



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