From owner-freebsd-questions  Mon Apr 29 14:36:54 1996
Return-Path: owner-questions
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id OAA16910
          for questions-outgoing; Mon, 29 Apr 1996 14:36:54 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from remote.transarc.com (remote.transarc.com [158.98.16.250])
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with SMTP id OAA16905
          for <questions@freebsd.org>; Mon, 29 Apr 1996 14:36:47 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by remote.transarc.com (5.65/DEC-Ultrix/4.3)
	id AA00417; Mon, 29 Apr 1996 17:29:49 -0400
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1996 17:30:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pat Barron <pat@transarc.com>
To: Jim Dennis <jimd@mistery.mcafee.com>
Cc: Helio Coelho Junior <helio@compuland.com.br>, questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Password in a directory
In-Reply-To: <199604291852.LAA00904@mistery.mcafee.com>
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.960429172424.13687C-100000@unix3.transarc.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

On Mon, 29 Apr 1996, Jim Dennis wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Is it possible to put a password in a directory, so the
> > user need to type to have access granted ?
> > 
> > thanks!
> > HElio.
> 
> 	I don't know of any way to do this using "standard" Unix
> 	conventions.

This is kinda grungy, but it has a similar effect:

Let's suppose you have /usr/protected, which you want to put a "password" 
on.  You "chmod 111" this directory, so that it's contents can't be 
read (except by root, of course).  Then you create another directory 
within that directory, let's say you all it "secret"; it's name serves 
as the "password".  Then you put the protected files into 
/usr/protected/secret.  Nobody can get to those files without knowing the 
"secret" directory name (which they can't see because of the mode bits on 
the /usr/protected directory).

This is a hack, but it mostly works.

--Pat.