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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!guy
From: guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: /usr/spool/mail: 0777 or 0755?
Message-ID: <1716@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 00:52:09 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.1716
Posted: Fri Feb 17 00:52:09 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 18-Feb-84 03:38:56 EST
References: <2926@yale-com.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 18

>     We run a 4.1bsd system, and have recently been having a discussion
> about mailbox protection.  One suggestion was that /usr/spool/mail should
> be writable only by root.

	.
	.
	.

> 	2) What other effects (good or bad) are caused by not having
> 	   /usr/spool/mail world-writable?

Well, the mailbox locking protocol requires the mail reader to be able to
create directory entries in /usr/spool/mail, which is a botch and causes
the mail readers to spend several seconds trying fruitlessly to lock the
mailboxes when entered if /usr/spool/mail isn't world-writable.

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy