GNU bug report logs - #8391
chmod setuid & setguid bits

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Message #89 received at 8391 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
Cc: chris <at> computersalat.de, Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>, bug-gnulib <at> gnu.org,
	ovasik <at> redhat.com, 8391 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#8391: chmod setuid & setguid bits
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:20:20 +0100

Paul Eggert wrote:
> this use of "+" does not conflict with input usages like
> "chmod +x foo".

It's because this use of '+' is easy to remember.
"chmod +x" means "add execution permissions".
"chmod -x" means "remove execution permissions".

You want a symbol for "assign exact permissions".
IMO the equals sign is a more well-known symbol for assignment than '@'.
So, how about a notation
    chmod =755
or
    chmod =rw-r--r--
?

Then there will not only be no conflict with MacOS X. It will also be
reasonably easy to remember for the users.

Bruno

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