Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386 Subject: Re: RFS is by far better that NFS! Summary: Root exclusion is by default and PERMANENT. That bites Message-ID: <1989Dec19.195321.3431@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Date: 19 Dec 89 19:53:21 GMT References: <218@inpnms.UUCP> <725@unix386.Convergent.COM> Reply-To: karl@mcs.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Distribution: na Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. - Mundelein, IL Lines: 36 In article <725@unix386.Convergent.COM> markb@unix386.Convergent.COM (Mark Beyer) writes: >In article <218@inpnms.UUCP>, logan@inpnms.UUCP (Jim Logan) writes: >> We all have 386's on our desks running RFS and have enjoyed >> having root access to our machines, but not on the server. From >> what we have read, this is not possible under NFS. Is this true? > >No. >Maybe you and I have a different concept of what "root access on the server" is, >but with NFS, root exclusion happens by default. root is mapped to uid -2 >(well, in 16 bit unsigned) on the server. So files you create >on the server while logged in as root on the client have "other" access, just >as if you excluded root in the RFS uid rules. Yeah, but there is one problem with this: Unlike on many machines (Ultrix, Suns, etc) 386/ix doesn't permit you to turn this off or modify it. This REALLY bites. The problem we have is that we have a physically secure network. Thus, we WANT root to really be root -- on all filesystems. Allowing this lets us put one big Exabyte tape drive on the network and back up everything. It allows us many other conveniences as well. With 386/ix NFS, none of this is possible -- unless I want to write a tape server. Ugh. They claim it will be fixed soon (spring). Soon isn't fast enough. Putting a tape drive in every machine, or doing the many hours of work to do a real tape server isn't really a viable option. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, !ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"