Re: static user IDs

[Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>]

In article <[🔎] 19990920115531.A14282@dungeon.inka.de> you write:
>static user id´s are a _problem_ with nfs, not a help.
>that´s why this proposal is: if the user id is read via /etc/passwd
>(or whatever you use), it is possible to sync the user id´s in
>a nfs network environment.
>
>with compiled in user ids it is not possible (without recompiling).
>
>the only exception: root is always 0. compile this into your binary.

With all due respect, you are confusing too different issues:

1. should programs have ids hardcoded. I personally dislike this. I
don't think anyone is debating it. The only exception I would give
is root. I (personally) would consider it a bug to hard code "root"
in a program - you should hard code 0 instead; as while it is rather
nonstandard, it is possible the administrator may have renamed root to
something else.

2. should /etc/passwd and /etc/group have the ids hardcoded. This
is what has been under dispute (not that I feel too strongly on the
matter - however I believe there are issues that have not had proper
consideration).
-- 
Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>