From 9c2fded34375cf76b32849d887ea870fd8a1bda9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Eggert Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2006 07:28:38 +0000 Subject: Clarify file mode bits versus file permission bits. (mkfifo invocation, mknod invocation): -m affects only file permission bits. --- doc/coreutils.texi | 30 ++++++++++++++++-------------- 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-) (limited to 'doc') diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi index f58af8b61..a571137cb 100644 --- a/doc/coreutils.texi +++ b/doc/coreutils.texi @@ -5683,7 +5683,7 @@ uniquely identifies each file within a particular file system.) @opindex --format @opindex long ls @r{format} @opindex verbose ls @r{format} -In addition to the name of each file, print the file type, permissions, +In addition to the name of each file, print the file type, file mode bits, number of hard links, owner name, group name, size, and timestamp (@pxref{Formatting file timestamps}), normally the modification time. @@ -5702,7 +5702,7 @@ The @var{blocks} computed counts each hard link separately; this is arguably a deficiency. @cindex permissions, output by @command{ls} -The permissions listed are similar to symbolic mode specifications +The file mode bits listed are similar to symbolic mode specifications (@pxref{Symbolic Modes}). But @command{ls} combines multiple bits into the third character of each set of permissions as follows: @table @samp @@ -5727,14 +5727,14 @@ If the executable bit is set and none of the above apply. Otherwise. @end table -Following the permission bits is a single character that specifies +Following the file mode bits is a single character that specifies whether an alternate access method such as an access control list -applies to the file. When the character following the permissions is a -space, there is no alternate access method. When it is a printing +applies to the file. When the character following the file mode bits is a +space, there is no alternate access method. When it is a printing character, then there is such a method. For a file with an extended access control list, a @samp{+} character is -listed. Basic access control lists are equivalent to the permissions +listed. Basic access control lists are equivalent to the permissions listed, and are not considered an alternate access method. @item -n @@ -6572,7 +6572,7 @@ of one or more of the following strings: @table @samp @itemx mode -Preserve the permission attributes, including access control lists. +Preserve the file mode bits and access control lists. @itemx ownership Preserve the owner and group. On most modern systems, only the super-user may change the owner of a file, and regular users @@ -6594,7 +6594,7 @@ Using @option{--preserve} with no @var{attribute_list} is equivalent to @option{--preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps}. In the absence of this option, each destination file is created with the -permissions of the corresponding source file, minus the bits set in the +mode bits of the corresponding source file, minus the bits set in the umask and minus the set-user-ID and set-group-ID bits. @xref{File permissions}. @@ -7057,7 +7057,7 @@ environment variable is set. @pindex install @cindex copying files and setting attributes -@command{install} copies files while setting their permission modes and, if +@command{install} copies files while setting their file mode bits and, if possible, their owner and group. Synopses: @example @@ -7128,7 +7128,7 @@ may be either a group name or a numeric group ID. @opindex -m @opindex --mode @cindex permissions of installed files, setting -Set the permissions for the installed file or directory to @var{mode}, +Set the file mode bits for the installed file or directory to @var{mode}, which can be either an octal number, or a symbolic mode as in @command{chmod}, with @samp{a=} (no access allowed to anyone) as the point of departure (@pxref{File permissions}). @@ -7898,8 +7898,8 @@ everyone) for the point of the departure. @xref{File permissions}. @opindex -p @opindex --parents @cindex parent directories, creating -Make any missing parent directories for each argument. The mode for parent -directories is set to the umask modified by @samp{u+wx}. +Make any missing parent directories for each argument. The file permission +bits of parent directories are set to the umask modified by @samp{u+wx}. Ignore arguments corresponding to existing directories. @item -v @@ -7944,7 +7944,8 @@ The program accepts the following option. Also see @ref{Common options}. @cindex modes of created FIFOs, setting Set the mode of created FIFOs to @var{mode}, which is symbolic as in @command{chmod} and uses @samp{a=rw} (read and write allowed for everyone) -for the point of departure. @xref{File permissions}. +for the point of departure. @var{mode} should specify only file +permission bits. @xref{File permissions}. @end table @@ -8015,6 +8016,7 @@ The program accepts the following option. Also see @ref{Common options}. @opindex --mode Set the mode of created files to @var{mode}, which is symbolic as in @command{chmod} and uses @samp{a=rw} as the point of departure. +@var{mode} should specify only file permission bits. @xref{File permissions}. @end table @@ -8567,7 +8569,7 @@ line, @command{chmod} changes the permissions of the pointed-to file. In contrast, @command{chmod} ignores symbolic links encountered during recursive directory traversals. -If used, @var{mode} specifies the new permissions. +If used, @var{mode} specifies the new file mode bits. For details, see the section on @ref{File permissions}. If you really want @var{mode} to have a leading @samp{-}, you should use @option{--} first, e.g., @samp{chmod -- -w file}. Typically, -- cgit v1.2.3-54-g00ecf