From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!alice!mhtsa!allegra!psuvax!burdvax!puder
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: wish list: file access permission bits
Article-I.D.: burdvax.354
Posted: Fri Nov 19 16:00:01 1982
Received: Thu Nov 25 15:01:43 1982


This may end up generating a lot of discussion because it is so deeply
engrained in the system, but I commonly see a need for it, so I have to get
this off my chest.

I think the WRITE permission bits on files should actually be two bits.  One
for MODIFY and the other for APPEND. This would be a useful distinction,
especially for (spool) directories and log files.  I know, this means that
llss and such will have to be modified, but they have to be modified for 4.2
anyway.

It is fairly obvious what APPEND without MODIFY means, but perhaps I should
mention my thoughts on what MODIFY without APPEND means.  It basically means
that the file cannot be made larger.  On a directory it would mean that
files could be renamed (and deleted?) but not created.

I welcome (serious) discussion of this idea, even to say that it won't work,
or is misfactored, but please, no flames.

	Karl Puder	Burroughs R & D		(215)648-7555