Version 1.1 of permchk Permissions Verification Program Available on RCS

Version 1.1 of permchk -- a program which will go through your account and compare your existing file permissions to the defaults set when your account was new, and ask you about anything that differs from those defaults -- is now available as the system default on RCS.

To run the program, simply enter the following command at a UNIX prompt:

	permchk

The first time you run the program, permchk will examine the current permissions in all of your directories and subdirectories, and check them against the defaults to see if any have been changed. If it finds any which differ from what it expects, it will report the unusual settings it found, and prompt you if you'd like to reset them to the default.

For example, you might see a message similar to the following, if permchk detects a file permission it doesn't recognize:


	[roygbiv] ~ (226) permchk
	Home Directory: /home/21/jones2
	Getting existing directory structure...
	Checking the permissions on the directories...
	In /home/21/jones2:
	Didn't expect doej, found rlidwka
	Do you want this to revert to default? [y/n]

If you answer "y" at the prompt, permchk will reset that permission to whatever defaults it expected to find. (In the above example, the program will remove the user doej from the permissions list entirely.)

After permchk goes through your account's permissions, it saves a copy of the current permission settings; as a result, with subsequent runnings of the program, permchk will only ask about new settings it finds, and won't continue asking you about anything you have deliberately set. For example, it will only query you once about any directories which you have specifically permitted to other people, such as for sharing a class project. The main purpose of the program's periodic queries is to let you know if someone has access to your files without your knowledge, as well as to help you close down any permission loopholes and notify you of any new changes to your permissions.

If you have any additional questions about using the permchk program, please contact the consultants at the ACS Help Desk locations, or direct electronic mail to consult@rpi.edu.