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From: shankar@hpclscu.HP.COM (Shankar Unni)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: HP-UX problems and suggestions (s800)
Message-ID: <1340074@hpclscu.HP.COM>
Date: 3 Oct 89 22:31:27 GMT
References: <1717@zen.co.uk>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Calif. Language Lab
Lines: 21

> >Shell scripts need BOTH read and execute permission; binaries
> >only need execute.
> 
> Sorry, maybe I was unclear; I use the terms "binary" and "executable"
> interchangably; when I say executable, I never mean anything which
> requires an interpreter.

Binaries may need read permission, too, if, for instance, a program ever
needs to access one's own text space using file I/O. Typical uses for such
a feature are:

   (a) accessing the linker symbol table (of course, the binary must not
       be stripped for this).
   (b) dynamic loading (using ld -A) (the same restriction applies).

In general, however, I agree with you - binaries should have --x--x--x
permissions.
-----
Shankar Unni                                   E-Mail: 
Hewlett-Packard California Language Lab.     Internet: shankar@hpda.hp.com
Phone : (408) 447-5797                           UUCP: ...!hplabs!hpda!shankar