A question for all you UN*X experts

[Jonathan E. Quist]

>> We have a question that maybe you can answer.  Does anyone out there know
>> of any utilities that use the information in /etc/group?  We keep our file

It comes in handy for granting access to group-maintained
files without granting global access.

E.G.

`cat /etc/group`
...
wheel:*:0:root,phred
cheese:*:6:mrbig,msbig,buffy,johnboy,zaphod
users::123:winkin,blinkin,nod,phred
abusers::456:hardrock,coco,joe,phred
...

`ls -lg /usr/local/*userfile /etc/passwd /usr/games/rogue`

-rw-rw-r--  1 blinkin  users       94066 Jul  1 10:34 /usr/local/userfile
-rw-rw----  1 coco     abusers        13 Jul  4  1776 /usr/local/abuserfile
-rw-r--r--  1 root     wheel       11307 Aug 29 22:06 /etc/passwd
-rws--x---  1 daemon   cheese     117760 Apr 28 15:38 /usr/games/rogue
                ^        ^
              owner    group

Blinkin owns ``userfile''; winkin, blinkin, and nod (the ``users'' can all
read from and write to this file.

Coco owns ``abuserfile'';  hardrock, coco, and joe (``abusers'') can
all read and write this file.
The `regular' users can _not_ read abuserfile.

Everyone can read /etc/passwd.

Phred, being something of a minor deity, can read and write both files,
as well as /etc/passwd.  (Phred had better be a trusted user.)

Only members of group cheese (XYZ company's presidant and his family)
are allowed to play ``rogue''.

Everyone agree?  Light your oxy-acetylene torches if I've got
any of the details wrong.

Jonathan E. Quist
Lachman Associates, Inc.
ihnp4!laidbak!jeq
``I deny this is a disclaimer.''