Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!elroy!cit-vax!joe
From: joe@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu (Joe Beckenbach)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Deletion of Unwritable Files
Summary: justify philosophically permissions hole
Keywords: permissions
Message-ID: <8624@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 18 Nov 88 23:22:24 GMT
References: <8927@smoke.BRL.MIL> <6521@galbp.LBP.HARRIS.COM>
Reply-To: joe@cit-vax.UUCP (Joe Beckenbach)
Distribution: na
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Lines: 17


	I understand exactly how the mechanism of directory permissions
works. What I can't really understand is why a file which is read-only was
originally allowed to be deleted in the first place. I mean, sure, removing 
a link affects the directory inode. BUT IT POTENTIALLY AFFECTS THE FILE!
[Remove the last link, and close the last open(), and bye bye data!]

On other words, why is this particular alteration of a file allowable [deletion]
when less drastic alterations [writing] are specifically disallowed by the
file permissions?

	Or did someone near Day 1 slip up and no-one's had the heart to
correct it? :-|

-- 
Joe Beckenbach	joe@csvax.caltech.edu	Caltech 256-80, Pasadena CA 91125
	rjm-antibody [emeritus] for the CS department