jwp@uwmacc.UUCP (jeffrey w percival) (04/02/85)
A while ago I posted a request about groups in UNIX, and received no information, so I'd like to try again. I can see why lumping several users into a group so they can take advantage of group permissions is useful, but I don't understand why there are groups (and users) such as "bin" and "sys". Names like these came on our 2.9BSD distribution tape. Can anybody tell me why "bin" and "sys" exist as users and groups, why, for example, "sys" belongs to group "bin" and vice-versa? what is the "correct" usage of these entries in /etc/passwd and /etc/group? I'd really appreciate even just a short note on this subject. Thanks. -- Jeff Percival ...!uwvax!uwmacc!jwp
root@bu-cs.UUCP (Barry Shein) (04/04/85)
>User asks why the distribution tape contains bin and sys users >with similarly distributed groups, complains that no one answers (maybe silence is an answer but, being as they hired me here to do management I will make up an answer right on the spot, much more info is generated by people correcting another's attempt.) As I remember, these 'users' were on our original V6 RK05. Theories: 1. Someone had to own the software that was coming off the tape. These psuedo-users did and started you off on the right foot for splicing up permissions among your tech support group. 2. Dennis Ritchie's nickname is sys and Ken Thompson's nickname is bin, hence the users. Leave them alone, it would be impolite to delete their accounts. -Barry Shein, Boston University