[linux-novice] Permissions -- I think ?

[Bill Case]

On Fri, 2004-10-22 at 20:06, Michael P. Soulier wrote:

Dear Mike,

Thanks for replying, however, your answer is somewhat like a Microsoft
response to help request - Do it our way or not at all.

> On 22/10/04 Bill Case said:
> 
> > I want to do two things that should be simple
> > 
> > 1) How do I configure evolution 1.4.6 so that I can access the same data
> > (addresses, tasks, inbox etc) either as root, user1 or user2?
> > 
> > I don't want or need separate or different files for each user. They are
> > all me.
> 
> Why do you want this? I do all my work as msoulier, unless I require
> root access, in which case I typically use sudo. I almost never login as
> root.

I think that is charming.  However, if you need to know, I have just
replaced my RH9 with Fedora C2 on my home network.  As with any system
initially there are lots of tweaking etc. to do.  So I end up spending
more time as root now than I will in the future.  Meanwhile, because I
am on a learning curve I am retrieving a lot of information, creating
bookmarks and making notes to myself about things to do as user.  In
fact, its access to my user evo (particularly the task list) and kjots
data that I want while in root.  Simply put, I would like the same data
available to myself whether I am root or user1 or user2.

Yes, I have two user identities.  One for work (as in money) and one for
play and linux learning.  I would like to share my evo data between
those two users.   

> > Also, if I use evolution to access my mail as one user, it won't access
> > it as another user after I logout and login as a different user (or
> > root) unless I reboot.  How do I fix that? 
> 
> I just got lost. Please provide an example. 

I will try to be clearer.  When I login as user1, evo downloads my mail
and I can browse the web using my browser (Mozilla or epiphany) with no
trouble.

When I logout and login as user2 or root my browser and evo can no
longer connect with either one of my two IPs.  If, on the other, I
restart Linux and login as user2 or root my browser and evo work fine
until I logout again and try a different user.
> 
> > 2) I would like to set kjots (which is my favourite note keeper) up so
> > that root, user1 and user2 all access the same books and pages.
> > 
> > I have found the /%home%/.kde/share/apps/kjots directory that I want to
> > use with kjots but I can't get kjots to go there when I am a non-owner
> > user.
> > 
> > I have gone through all the manuals and googled about permissions. I
> > understand and have used basic user and group permissions before but all
> > this stuff about PAM and Console access and special groups for devices
> > and programs like floppy, mail etc. seems like learning overkill and an
> > invitation to disaster just to solve a simple problem.
> 
> It's not a simple problem. Unix was designed for multiple users, such
> that those users have a very definite separation. I would question your
> requirements. 
> 
> Please explain why this arrangement is required or desired. 

I use kjots to make notes to myself.  That is what it is for!
Sometimes, when working as root I think of things to do or that I have
learned new that should be done as user.  Sometimes as user I make a
note of things to fix next time I am working as root.  Sometimes when I
am user1 I have an idea which should be used in one of my projects that
I am working on as user2 and sometimes I jot down things as user2 for me
to learn or play with when I am user1 again.  I am getting older and my
memory of to-do lists etc. is not as good as it used to be.  I would
like to look up a note I made to myself when I was working as a
different user.

Kjots has a kjotsrc file but it does not seem configurable to changing
the default directory.

Bill