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From: gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>)
Newsgroups: net.unix,net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: Tape drives and protection of tapes (using tar)
Message-ID: <9638@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 31-Mar-85 23:46:57 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.9638
Posted: Sun Mar 31 23:46:57 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 3-Apr-85 02:21:12 EST
References: <1634@psuvax1.UUCP>
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Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
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Xref: watmath net.unix:4095 net.unix-wizards:12687

You need a utility for allocating (and deallocating) devices (should
also work with any type of file).  When unallocated, the device would
be owned by, say, "public".  The allocator would be set-UID "public"
(set-UID "root" on non-AT&T systems) and would give the device to the
requestor if someone else didn't already have it.

This is just the simplest sketch of what such a utility should do.
I have complete design notes for a full system that handles daemon
processes, failure to deassign upon logout, generic device classes,
and sundry other considerations.  Unfortunately I never got around
to implementing the design.  Some such utility should be standard.