Version 0.2.0

[userv-utils.git] / groupmanage / groupmanage.text

diff --git a/groupmanage/groupmanage.text b/groupmanage/groupmanage.text
index 14bb4917de24edb7f3a47b042694e3a3f48ea8b8..f0963d7aeb692179511933e40e1d96ad11289c82 100644 (file)
--- a/groupmanage/groupmanage.text
+++ b/groupmanage/groupmanage.text
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 groupmanage(1) and user-administered groups
 -------------------------------------------
 
 groupmanage(1) and user-administered groups
 -------------------------------------------
 

-There is a program `groupmanage' installed on chiark, with which users
-can create their own groups and change their group membership.
+There is a program `groupmanage', with which users can create their
+own groups and change their group membership.

 
 For a synopsis of its usage, type `groupmanage'.
 
 Each group managed by groupmanage has an entry in /etc/grouplist as
 well as in /etc/group.  This contains the administrative information
 
 For a synopsis of its usage, type `groupmanage'.
 
 Each group managed by groupmanage has an entry in /etc/grouplist as
 well as in /etc/group.  This contains the administrative information

-which controls who may do what to the group.
+which controls who may do what to the group, in the form:
+ group:description:owner:manager1,manager2,manager3:home-directory
+(as many or few managers as you like).  groupmanage will modify this
+file as well as /etc/group

 
 Each group has a single owner user.  The owner and managers are
 allowed to add and delete managers and members; only the owner may
 
 Each group has a single owner user.  The owner and managers are
 allowed to add and delete managers and members; only the owner may


@@ -17,22 +20,23 @@ automatically make you a member of a group - you must use
 groupmanage --add to do that, and then log in again to ensure that the
 new membership affects your session.
 
 groupmanage --add to do that, and then log in again to ensure that the
 new membership affects your session.
 

-There are some restrictions on groups created by users without my
-intervention: the group name must have the form
-<username>-<groupname>, except that if <username> is more than 4
-characters only the first 4 need be given.  All groups created by a
-user have that user's name in the title.  Any one user may not create
-more than 5 groups for themselves.
+There are some restrictions on groups created by users without
+administrator intervention: in the default configuration the group
+name must have the form <username>-<groupname>, except that if
+<username> is more than 4 characters only the first 4 need be given.
+All groups created by a user have that user's name in the title.  Any
+one user may not create more than 5 groups for themselves.

 
 All group names must be less than 8 characters long, and a group once
 
 All group names must be less than 8 characters long, and a group once

-created can not easily be deleted (though it can be renamed with my
-assistance).
+created can not easily be deleted because revoking access to a uid or
+gid on unix is very hard.  Groups can be renamed with assistance from
+the system administrator.

 
 For more formal groups (for example, those corresponding to particular
 organisations, or which interact with system software eg mail
 
 For more formal groups (for example, those corresponding to particular
 organisations, or which interact with system software eg mail

-delivery) I will usually create a the group myself on request (and
-need not heed these restrictions), and will often also create a home
-directory for shared files.
+delivery) should probably be created by the sysadmin on request and
+need not heed these restrictions; it might also be useful to create a
+home directory for shared files.

 
 When working with shared files, you should not remove (and should
 reinstate, if necessary) the setgid bit on the shared directories, and
 
 When working with shared files, you should not remove (and should
 reinstate, if necessary) the setgid bit on the shared directories, and


@@ -42,4 +46,4 @@ without having to ask other users to chmod files, or having to type
 incantations to switch between working on shared files and your
 personal files.
 
 incantations to switch between working on shared files and your
 personal files.
 

- -- iwj 19.08.1998
+$Id$