Date: Wed, 28 Feb 96 06:18:31 -0800 From: Cy Schubert - BCSC Open Systems Group <cschuber@uumail.gov.bc.ca> To: Bruce Evans <bde@zeta.org.au> Cc: roberto@keltia.freenix.fr, msmith@comtch.iea.com, nlawson@kdat.csc.calpoly.edu, security@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Suspicious symlinks in /tmp Message-ID: <199602281418.GAA10572@passer.osg.gov.bc.ca> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 28 Feb 96 18:30:59 %2B1100." <199602280730.SAA31286@godzilla.zeta.org.au>
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> >> I think this is to conform to future POSIX standards. Many other things
> >> involving symlinks changed in 4.4lite. See `man 7 symlink'.
>
> >davidg also said it was not to use an inode for the symlink itself so every
> >symlink in 4.4BSD are fast symlinks (as it was possible to use in FreeBSD
> >1.1.5.1).
>
> Fast/small symlinks use an inode but not a data block. Very fast/small
> symlinks would use only a directory entry (or two). Then there would be
> nowhere to store the uid etc.
>
> >It don't like our behaviour either. Highly counterintuitive and deadly for
> >sticky directories too where a user can't remove a link he made.
>
> Very intuitive if you don't know about inodes :-).
>
> Bruce
>
Why not kernel config option??? Let the sysadmin decide whether he/she wishes
to implement the feature or not. Of course this would require a somewhat
significant change to the filesystem creating two types of symbolic link
objects, one that would be defined in a directory entry and the other which
would be defined in an inode. One which would give you better performance while
the other better user friendliness.
The reason you need to have both types defined is when a kernel reconfig is
performed the type of symbolic link that is not defined in the kernel config
would still be followed but not created. An FSCK option could be added to make
all symbolic links on a filesystem consistent with the kernel definition.
It's just a thought...
Regards, Phone: (604)389-3827
Cy Schubert OV/VM: BCSC02(CSCHUBER)
Open Systems Support BITNET: CSCHUBER@BCSC02.BITNET
BC Systems Corp. Internet: cschuber@uumail.gov.bc.ca
cschuber@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca
"Quit spooling around, JES do it."
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