Re: [9fans] First-timer help

[Christopher Nielsen <cnielsen@pobox.com>]

On Sun, Jul 17, 2005 at 12:47:55PM -0700, John Floren wrote:
> andrey mirtchovski wrote:
> >>And why do you have to reboot in order to change users?  UNIX has had 
> >>that from the beginning, and I don't see any reason to drop it.
> >
> >
> >this isn't unix :) 
> >
> >the single most-important reason to switch users (do something as
> >root) does not exist here, hence nobody bothered.  when you set up a
> >proper file/cpu/auth server on which you're going to have more than
> >one users then you can always log in as the administrative user
> >(bootes, in most cases) remotely or on the console of the server and
> >administer.  if you only have a standalone, single-user machine you're
> >considered its owner.
>
> So when I'm not around and somebody decides to boot the computer and 
> delete all my files, that's just okay then?

in a full P9 system, files are not stored locally; typically,
terminals are completely diskless. files are stored on and
protected by a fileserver. regular users cannot connect to
the fileserver without first authenticating themselves through
an auth server, so your files are safe from deletion.

you're thinking of P9 as a standalone, single system when it is,
in fact, a distributed system usually made up of several hosts.

-- 
Christopher Nielsen
"They who can give up essential liberty for temporary
safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin