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Date: Mon, 15 May 1995 09:09:19 +1000
From: Bruce Evans <bde@zeta.org.au>
Message-Id: <199505142309.JAA07026@godzilla.zeta.org.au>
To: current@FreeBSD.org, mark@linus.demon.co.uk
Subject: Re: MAKEDEV and device permissions
Sender: current-owner@FreeBSD.org
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>MAKEDEV seems to be a bit confused about how to set the permissions
>on several devices (e.g. fd*).  It temporarily uses a less restrictive
>umask than the one it starts off with, but then chmods the devices
>to be more restricted anyway.  In the case of joy*, it doesn't set
>the umask back.  (Apart from this last bit, the problem is only one
>of internal consistency.)

>Suggested fix: (policy) decide which one is right.  Make the chmod
>calls agree, and remove the umask adjustments.

I've been changing it the other way, to use umask consistently.
MAKEDEV is very slow, and umask is much faster than chmod.

>(Personally, I prefer
>devices such as floppy and tape to be operator-writeable, but rc.local
>can handle non-default policy.)  To be consistent, modify the parts

Tapes were always supposed to be operator-writeable.  This will be fixed
in 2.0.5.  I have the raw floppy operator-writeable locally too, but I
don't think it is right for general use because floppies can be mounted.

Bruce