Unix files should have both real and effective ids for files too

[Clifford C. Skolnick]

In article <PCG.90Dec10191750 at odin.cs.aber.ac.uk> you write:
>
>Final observation: adding read/effective user ids to any UNIX kernel
>probably requires half a dozen lines spread across a couple of headers
>and in the stat(2) implementation, a few recompilations, and
>reformatting and reloading filesystems. Frankly not a lot of work.

Not everyone has the source to everything.  What about software companies
that have gone out of business?  You could keep the only binary interface
alive in the kernel, but you have no idea what the stat() should put in
the UID field since you don't know what the application is going to do
with it.  This is a good example of a simple kernel change that will
break many applications, too complicated.

As a note, I do think this is a good idea but I would rather see the
addition of access control lists to UNIX.  Would provide all this and
more.  If your gonna change and break things, might as well make it worth
it!

Cliff
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