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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: access(2) question
Message-ID: <7102@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Jun-87 16:03:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: mimsy.7102
Posted: Wed Jun 17 16:03:52 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Jun-87 05:19:53 EDT
References: <530@applix.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 12
Keywords: access permissions
Summary: access is for setuid programs

In article <530@applix.UUCP> mark@applix.UUCP (Mark Fox) writes:
>Does anybody know why access checks file accessibility using the real [ug]id
>in place of the effective [ug]id?

As it says (or should say) in the manual entry, access is designed
for use by setuid and setgid programs.  The access call determines
whether the real user has whatever permissions; if a program wants
to know whether the program has those permissions, it should just
try the operation.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	seismo!mimsy!chris