From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!csu-cs!silver
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Title: Why mknod(1m) requires getuid() == 0
Article-I.D.: csu-cs.2164
Posted: Wed Apr 13 12:03:09 1983
Received: Sun Apr 17 08:19:56 1983


An anonymous benefactor sent me the REAL answer.  I know you've
all been waiting anxiously, so, without further ado, I quote:

"mknod(1m) checks getuid() == 0 because apparently at one time non-
superusers could not create FIFO's, so the mknod utility ran set-UID
root."

More evidence of the half-a**edness of the implementation of a really
full-a**ed concept (i.e., UN*X).