Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!dave From: dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: newgrp(1) - inconsistent Message-ID: <4974@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Mon, 30-Jul-84 12:03:13 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.4974 Posted: Mon Jul 30 12:03:13 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jul-84 12:21:44 EDT References: <753@aecom.UUCP> Followup-To: net.unix Organization: The Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto Lines: 30 In article <753@aecom.UUCP> naftoli@aecom.UUCP (Robert Berlinger) writes: ~| Why were such pains taken to make the newgrp(1) command overlay ~| the current shell? It seems to me that it's more natural to have it ~| fork off a seperate shell just like su(1) does. In fact, I prefer ~| it that way. Anyone else have any comments? First off, please don't start a discussion in both net.unix and net.unix-wizards. Most people who read one read the other anyway, and it causes duplication on the ARPA mailing lists and for those who read news in certain ways. I'm continuing this in net.unix only. I would not want newgrp to work like su. Someone who needs access to various groups' permission may want to change his current access several times during a session, without leaving a trail of sleeping shells in the background (using up process slots, among other things). You should not have to type ctrl-D umpteen times to log off, when all you've done is change your group permissions. This is rather different from su, were, for a (presumably limited) period of time, you are masquerading as someone else for the purposes of permissions and it is implicit that when done with whatever you needed su for, you will return to being yourself. With newgrp you are still yourself. Dave Sherman Toronto -- {allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!dave