Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!cbmvax!grr
From: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aux
Subject: Re: System management and system file protection
Message-ID: <8814@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 5 Dec 89 02:10:17 GMT
References: <1989Dec2.214424.5719@athena.mit.edu> <5719@umd5.umd.edu> <7869@bunny.GTE.COM>
Reply-To: grr@cbmvax.UUCP (George Robbins)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 26

In article <7869@bunny.GTE.COM> krs0@bunny.gte.com.UUCP (Rod Stephens) writes:
> In article <5719@umd5.umd.edu> steveg@umd5.umd.edu (Steve Green) writes:
> >In article <1989Dec2.214424.5719@athena.mit.edu> crowston@athena.mit.edu (Kevin Crowston) writes:

> < lots more deleted >
 
> While it is true that anyone with write permission on /etc/passwd can
> break the system wide open, I think the idea is to protect the person
> from accidentally doing something stupid. I must confess that I once
> forgot that I was logged on as root and blew away about half of my
> operating system.

Yes, but this is what you do comprehensive and timely backups for.  The
new administrator is best advised to to mess with the protections on
various system files since it's not always obvious why they are set as
they are and a new adminstrator isn't neccesarily prepared to analyze
the resulting problems.

There are cases where you might decide you want "more security" or
"protection against your own mistakes", but one must proceed with
caution...

-- 
George Robbins - now working for,	uucp: {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@uunet.uu.net
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)