[Linux-disciples] Deleting files you don't own

[Stephen R Laniel]

On Wed, Nov 17, 2004 at 07:48:19AM -0500, Dylan Thurston wrote:
> You can delete a file iff you have write permission on the directory
> containing it.  (Unless the sticky bit on the directory is set, I
> think.)  It's the directory that needs to be modified, not the file.

Ah so: I should have consulted the man page for chmod(1):

STICKY DIRECTORIES
       When the sticky bit is set on a directory, files  in  that
       directory may be unlinked or renamed only by root or their
       owner.  Without the sticky bit, anyone able  to	write  to
       the  directory can delete or rename files.  The sticky bit
       is commonly found on directories, such as /tmp,	that  are
       world-writable.

Thanks for clearing that up, Dylan.

-- 
``[My 3-year-old, Zoe] thought for a moment, and then said,
  `you think George Bush is too stupid to have so much
  wesponsibility?' Yes, child. Exactly that. Plus malice.''
 -http://crookedtimber.org/archives/002857.html

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