VFS / struct inode_operation: Extend permission() + add syscall?

Andreas Gruenbacher (a.gruenbacher@infosys.tuwien.ac.at)
Tue, 05 Oct 1999 14:34:02 +0200


The permission() function in the VFS (and the permission()
inode operations) only work for the current user.

Why is that?
What are the arguments against making adding a permission_uid()
function, with the uid a parameter? What are the reasons against
adding a syscall to test which permissions a user has for a file
or path?

Daemons like Samba now need to fork(), and change owner
to tested permissions. It seems more reasonable to
allow root to test permissions via a system call.

I have heard that this question has been asked in the past,
with no response.

Andreas

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andreas Gruenbacher, Vienna University of Technology
a.gruenbacher@infosys.tuwien.ac.at
Contact information: http://www.infosys.tuwien.ac.at/~agruenba

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