Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen
From: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM (Wm E Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: UEmacs 3.10
Keywords: UEmacs, file permissions
Message-ID: <1592@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 9 Nov 89 21:33:38 GMT
References: <440@secola.Columbia.NCR.COM>
Reply-To: davidsen@crdos1.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: GE Corp R&D Center
Lines: 24

>[  problem losing file ownership and permissions  ]

  This is the SAFESAVE option. I reported it as a possible problem when
it first came out, and I haven't changed my mind.

on DOS: if you are low on disk, keeping the original file around may
	cause failure when saving the file. It also allows you to save
	right over the top of a readonly file.

on UNIX: all of the above plus the ownership gets changed and you also
	lose the execute bit for shell scripts.

Opinion: this option made sense in the days of CP/M and Apple ][, with
small and unreliable floppy disks. It doesn't make sense for me in any
environment, and causes tons of problems in the cases listed above. I
suggested that the default source be shipped with the option off and
some cautionary wording in the manual, but I haven't looked to see if
that happened.

-- 
bill davidsen	(davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM -or- uunet!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen)
"The world is filled with fools. They blindly follow their so-called
'reason' in the face of the church and common sense. Any fool can see
that the world is flat!" - anon