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To: rob@plan9.bell-labs.com
To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] allow
FROM: pip@namaste.stricca.org
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 14:51:21 -0400
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Hi

This may seem a bit cumbersome when you initially think about it,
but :

The reason 'allow' is fine on the stand-alone file fileserver is because
of physical security. Is it possibly to provide a similar facility in the 
context of the general purpose system ? Maybe the use of smart cards
might be a solution. At system configuration time, you config the 
system to recognize the bearer of a particular card as the admin.

Whenever you need to admin the system, insert the smartcard, do
stuff, pull it out, capability gone. 

just a thought.
-
pip


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To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: [9fans] allow
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From: "rob pike" <rob@plan9.bell-labs.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 10:18:54 -0400
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Status: RO

"Allow" is a wretched thing.  It was put in the original file server code for
bootstrapping, and only gets turned on during administrative hell.  When
that code was adapted to form kfs, the same necessity led to the same
solution, but it is a far more dangerous, nasty, foul thing in that context.
The reason is that the stand-alone file server has a true console and is not
a general-purpose operating system, while kfs runs as a traditional file
server on a general-purpose machine.

Better ideas (short of a superuser) are welcome.

-rob


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