FreeBSD6 Unleashed

Chapter 13. Users, Groups, and Permissions

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Introduction to Users and Groups

• Why Use Groups?

• File Ownership

• File and Directory Permissions

• Access Control Lists (ACLs)

• Adding and Removing Users

• User Management Using NIS

Users and file permissions are the concepts that form the central pillars of a UNIX system. Working within a system that is designed for multiuser operation imposes many more rules and restrictions than you experience when administering single-user desktop systems. This is a safety feature as much as a matter of privacy: not only can each user hide his files and sensitive data from the prying eyes of other users, but each user is also restricted from altering parts of the system that he does not himself own. This protects ...