Subject: Re: _pflogd user
To: mouss <usebsd@free.fr>
From: The Grey Wolf <greywolf@starwolf.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 09/10/2004 09:24:56
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Thus spake mouss ("m> ") sometime Today...

m> SODA Noriyuki wrote:
m>
m> >>>>>>On Fri, 10 Sep 2004 13:25:29 +0200 (CEST),
m> > I agree that being consistent is a good goal.
m> > But I think we shouldn't rename some existing system users like
m> > "news", "games", "postfix", etc. Those names are widely used among
m> > varous operating systems, so it's better to keep those names as is.
m> > We don't have to worry about the conflict for those names anyway.
m> >
m> > But for new names, especially not so common among varous operating
m> > systems, it's better to have particular name space.
m> >
m>
m> I like the idea. I think it's good to go for this convention (or
m> another, but this has the advantage to be already here:). there is no
m> need to rename old accounts. it suffices to allow adding new ones (such
m> as _news being added either as a simple alias to news or as a different
m> account).

Hm.  "Let's let OpenBSD and FreeBSD decide where NetBSD will go, and
NetBSD will, again, be a bend-over-backwards-with-no-grease lackey."

I'm thinking, "no."

m> one of the things it allows is "naive" access control based on account
m> name (such as "_* can't do this"), as well as hiding system accounts in
m> user interfaces.
m>
m> Of course, having reserved uid/gid ranges would probably be a better
m> alternative (that wouldn't be incompatible though), but this is hardly
m> possible in heterogenous networks.

Don't even get me started on reserved uid/gid ranges.  I got fired due to
some dope who was insistent that, under UNIX, "lower numbers give you greater
privilege.  I read an article on it once, but I can't find it now."

[he subsequently rewhacked all the UIDs (imagine the NFS hell!) without
my permission, managed to convince VP/Ops that I was the one doing it
wrong, and got me fired.  VP/Ops didn't even listen to what I had to say.

But I'm not bitter.  Next time I see the bozo, I'll be smiling all the
while I'm watching him twitch every time traffic goes across the network
wire I'll be forcibly implanting in his eardrum.]

So, there, again, I'm thinking "no".

				--*greywolf;
- --
America is quite possibly the only country to go from barbarism to
decadence without the requisite intervening period of civilisation.
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