"Repair"?? "Permissions"???

Question

Level 1

0 points

"Repair"?? "Permissions"???

Just curious. What the heck does the phrase "Repair permissions" +actually mean+? I don't need to know how to do it, or even what effect it has. I just want to know what it means, in common ordinary everyday language.

I mean, what are "permissions", as far as a computer is concerned? Who gives my computer "permissions" to do anything? And why do they need to be "repaired" from time to time?

It's a matter of terminology, even linguistics. I just wonder why they use that phrase.

eMac G4

Posted on Jan 3, 2008 9:32 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 4, 2008 1:26 AM in response to KurtGM

using the Search feature on Apple's support site, it offers you this article..

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751

Reply

Answer 2

KurtGM Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 4, 2008 1:58 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Thanks, Karsten. That article explains what "permissions" are. But I'm still puzzled as to why they are called "permissions", instead of apple pies or pork chops! You know what I mean?

To me, the word permission means "permitting someone to do something." Maybe I'm dumb, but I can't see the sense in calling those little files permissions!

I guess I'll just treat it the same way I treat everything else about computers. I have no idea how they work, I only know they work.

Cheers.

Reply

Answer 3

Jan 4, 2008 2:07 AM in response to KurtGM

.. probably, you should better ask the experts in the UNIX board ... 🙂

basicly (and my knowledge is very basic.. ), the OS and apps do zillions of writes and reads every second while performing.. so, any file on your harddrive can be 'changed' .. but, for safety of OS and apps, not any 'process' is allowed to re-write any file.. in my humble understanding, it's like that piece of plastic you kick-off a cassette to avoid erasing content.. (yepp, me old analogue guy...). down in the depths of the system, thousands of files care for running OS and apps smoothly.. if those permissions set incorrectly, e.g. a virus could overwrite valueable content.. and I don't mean 'docs', but one of those 40.000 files which 'are' the system..

Reply

Answer 4

Jan 5, 2008 8:30 AM in response to KurtGM

The files themselves are not permissions. They have permissions. The permissions associated with a file determine who can do what with that file. Without getting too detailed, there are three kinds of users (the owner of the file, other users in the same group as the owner, and everybody else) and three kinds of permissions (reading, writing and executing). For example, a script file that belongs to an administrative user might allow the owner to read, write and execute the file, and allow other administrative users to read it and execute it, but not write to it, and allow all other users to execute it but not read it or write to it. This means that only the person who wrote the script can change it. Other administrative users can use it, and they can read it to see how it works, but they can't change it; however, they can copy it and modify their own copy as they please. Other, non-administrative users are not even allowed to read the script, because it may contain information, such as passwords, that ordinary users should not be privy to.

If you don't like the term "permissions," POSIX calls them access control lists, or ACLs, and OS X is POSIX-compliant.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystempermissions if you're interested in learning more about this.

Reply

Answer 5

KurtGM Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2008 4:31 PM in response to David Livesay

Thanks, David. I think I get it. I think my problem with the word was that it sounded kinda like I didn't really have a say using my own computer, know what I mean? I'm the only one who uses my computer, so the concept of getting permission to use files on it just seemed odd. I assumed the word MUST mean something else in this case, but couldn't think what.

Reply