Re: should not specify default group for users

[Dale Scheetz <dwarf@polaris.net>]

On Wed, 22 Mar 2000 gk4@us.ibm.com wrote:

> 
> 
> >Debian uses 002 and the "what a waste" user method. Having only lived in
> >this environment, I don't see the advantages of the 022 system. Aside from
> >"wasting" a, sometimes large, number of groups, why is 022 "superior"?
> 
> Dale,
> 
> Being in group "users" allows me to turn on and off the group bits without
> bothering the system admin.   Being in my own group "gk4" requires that I

That is true of any global group, so what?

> contact the system admin to add people to my group "gk4" to create a
> mediated group access list.   Umask 022 versus 002 is implied by being in
> group "users" or group "gk4" respectively.
> 
> The question is, do we want to specify users/022 for scripts, pre-install,
> and post-install?   If not, then delete it from the LSB specification;
> otherwise, we need to take a stand on one or the other and I contend that
> users/022 is the norm.  :-)
> 
Then I contend that we should not spec it. Why would an installation
program need a specific value for umask anyway?

I happen to like having personal control over who can do what to my files,
and I think Debian's use of 002 gives me that control. For that matter
each individual user can change their own umask value in their user init
files. Do we really want to specify that the user must have umask of 022
in order for the system to be LSB compliant? I liked the idea someone said
they used where setting umask to 077 keeps overyone's eyes off your
personal files.

In any case, if a vendor installation, or program, requires a particular
umask for the "proper" creation of files, there should be no problem in
setting the environment to reflect the desired umask, so what value are we
gaining for the spec in specifying any "default" umask?

Luck,

Dwarf
--
_-_-_-_-_-   Author of "The Debian Linux User's Guide"  _-_-_-_-_-_-

aka   Dale Scheetz                   Phone:   1 (850) 656-9769
      Flexible Software              11000 McCrackin Road
      e-mail:  dwarf@polaris.net     Tallahassee, FL  32308

_-_-_-_-_-_- See www.linuxpress.com for more details  _-_-_-_-_-_-_-