Re: NetBSD and User Private Groups (Unique Groups)

[mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost (Michael van Elst)]

ottavio2006-degen%yahoo.com@localhost (Ottavio Caruso) writes:

>permissions. Why not just make it easier for the user?

That obviously depends on what the user wants.

The default used to be: everyone in my group (department, class,
etc..) can see my regular files but cannot change them. That allows
easy collaboration. It does not allow full sharing of documents,
because UNIX file modes aren't powerful enough (you can allow writes to
one group, but modes aren't cloned, groups aren't cloned and ownership
is still a distinct feature).
 
In that time private files were the exception and include things like
keys or your mailbox. Privacy was maintained by the tools used for
such files and everything was fine.


Nowadays, collaboration is done differently, rarely by file access
but mostly via some web resource. That reduces the amount of versioned
Excel sheets passed around, or whatever UNIX people use to store
bullet lists in. And it increases the interest in keeping private
things in private files.

Fortunately multi-user time-sharing systems are as rare and we use personal
computers for quite some time and the 'users' group now helps your multiple
egos to collaborate easily.


The admin of the company backup system may still be able to read your files.

-- 
-- 
                                Michael van Elst
Internet: mlelstv%serpens.de@localhost
                                "A potential Snark may lurk in every tree."