epsilon@wet.UUCP (Eric P. Scott) (11/29/89)
When you play with Preferences in Mathematica, it doesn't use the Defaults Database like everything else. It edits a systemwide(!) file--/NextApps/Mathematica.app/PrefsFile.mb As distributed by NeXT, this file is mode 666. Demonstrate: Launch Mathematica. Preferences> Startup... click the radio button next to "Use the following shell command" and the box labeled "Automatically start" Put something appropriately NASTY in the text field. Quit Mathematica. Watch the look of SURPRISE on the next luser's face... Restore the file from a KNOWN GOOD COPY of the 1.0 distribution. do chmod go-w /NextApps/Mathematica.app/PrefsFiles.mb -=EPS=-