BSD file system

[Steven M. Schultz]

>In article <20258 at mimsy.umd.edu> chris at mimsy.umd.edu (Chris Torek) writes:
>>In article <1344 at accuvax.nwu.edu> rico at dehn. (Rico Tudor) writes:
>>	(3) What purpose is served by taking the group ID of a newly
>>		created file from the parent directory, rather than the
>>		process?
>
>Given that `the process' may be in up to 8 (4.2BSD) or 16 (4.3BSD)
>groups simultaneously, there is no single correct choice based on
>the process alone, hence the parent directory rule.

	Another way of looking at the multi-group capability is that
	a process has a main/primary group - the one listed in the 
	password file and multiple secondary groups as determined by
	the group file.  It makes sense to me to use the primary
	group for purposes of file ownership.   Directories such as /tmp
	typically are owned by groups of which users are not members, this
	has led to surprises at least once for me.

	Steven M. Schultz
	sms at wlv.imsd.contel.com