On Fri, Nov 15, 2002 at 09:10:47AM -0800, Sarad AV wrote: > > Most operating systems support empty files while some don't > [snipped] > > In *nix both the cat and vi allows empty files to be created. > I wonder what is the need for creating empty files in the > first place. > [snipped] >
"Empty" files are not normally required by the OS per se. They are needed by some apps/ daemons to operate upon. You may find (for example) files for all users in /var/spool/mail/* even if they are of zero length. These file have proper permissions of the user for the app (MTA). This is a security issue. In pure MS-DOS such issues are irrelavent. > if it was an email account you would like to make an empty > registeration, even if he does not use it since some body > else can register his name. Did not get your point here. Which software are you talking about ? The MTA would definitely need a use account to deliver mail, won't it ? irrespective of who created the account. > how ever in the case of ordinary files, we alone and always > have access and read-write-execute privelages over our files. Normally, text files created by users have permissions of 644, so, besides the author, others can read through it, but not write or execute it. Execution privileges need to be expli- citly given by the creator of an executable, without which he too cannot run the file. HTH Bish -- : ####[ GNU/Linux One Stanza Tip (LOST) ]####################### Sub : Line-spacing a text file LOST #101 To double space a text file: cat filename | sed 'G' > newfile To undo double-spacing: cat filename | sed 'n;d' > newfile To triple space: sed 'G;G' ... and so on ... add one ';G' for every additional line space that you need. ####<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>#################################### : ------------------------------------------------------- This sf.net email is sponsored by: To learn the basics of securing your web site with SSL, click here to get a FREE TRIAL of a Thawte Server Certificate: http://www.gothawte.com/rd524.html _______________________________________________ linux-india-help mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/linux-india-help
