Re: Two questions

====== Forwarded Message From uunet!rmy.emory.edu!informix-list-owner ========= > > 1. Informix/SQL Forms - Is there any way I can display the "4950- - " > value in the field when the user chooses the option query? Normally, > query option clears all fields. > I'm not sure I understand the question, but I believe that our I-SQL product does not provide this functionality. > 2. I am the owner of the reports file ".ace" and ".arc" . I tried to use the > chmod command to give permission to other user to write to this file. > But it would not allow him to select the file from informix menu. How could > I give write access to other user to change the report ace file and also > compile permissions? > I think you are confusing UNIX file permissions and Database/table permissions. I have included an article that discusses both. > Thanks. Ruchi. > > Good Luck, Kelly Todd Atlanta CSE TechInfo # 799 Short Description: TechNotes - Permissions and Informix Products Long Description: TechNotes Winter 1988 Permissions and Informix Products ================================= This article discusses the relationship between system permissions and Informix products. The information in this article applies to the following products: - INFORMIX-SQL - INFORMIX-ESQL/C - INFORMIX-ESQL/Ada - INFORMIX-ESQL/COBOL - INFORMIX-4GL Overview This article covers the following topics: - System permissions versus database privileges - The permissions and installation of your Informix product - Informix program permissions - Database directory and table permissions - Database and table ownership - How to control access to databases and tables The article uses UNIX operating system terms and examples. Much of the information in this article is appropriate for other multi-user operating systems, however. Note: If you are running an Informix product with INFORMIX-TURBO, some information in this article may not apply to your system. System Permissions and Database Privileges Operating system permissions govern system-level access to files and directories. These permissions are granted (or revoked) at the operating system level and information on these permissions can be obtained using the following UNIX command: ls -l When you crate a database and tables, the operating system assigns system permissions to bothe the database directory and its tables. User access to the database and its tables, however, is not governed by these system permissions. Rather, user access is governed by database and table privileges. These privileges are established using the Informix GRANT and REVOKE statements in an ESQL or 4GL program or in INFORMIX-SQL. Information about the privileges for a database and its tables is stored in the data- base system catalogs. The following sections discuss two areas in which permissions are a factor; the installation and use of the Informix product itself, and access to databases and tables that have been created with Informix products. Installation of Your Informix Product When you install an Informix product on your system, default system permissions are established for each file. If you want to restrict access to these product files, you can change the permissions on the directory in which you install the Informix product. You use a different procedure, however, to restrict access to the databases and tables created using the installed Informix product. This section discusses Informix product files and their permissions. Database and table privileges are discussed in the section "Using your Informix Product to Create Databases." Permissions and the Install Procedure The directory in which you install Informix products is referred to as $INFORMIXDIR (the directory to which the INFORMIXDIR environment variable is set). By default, the installation procedure sets up $INFORMIXDIR and all Informix product files with operating system permissions that allow any user to run the installed programs. Note: The permissions for $INFORMIXDIR are determined by the installation program. If you want to restrict access to the $INFORMIXDIR directory, you must change the direc- tory permissions after the installation procedure has been run. Do not alter system permissions on Informix product files. Root Permissions You must log in as root to run the installation program. This ensures that Informix product files and programs are installed with the correct permissions. When you log in as root, your user-id assumes the value zero. This enables the installation program t copy files to the current directory, and to specify the correct mode, ownership, and group on Informix files. User and Group Informix After installation, Informix product files belong to user and group informix. User informix is set up in the /etc/passwd file as the only member of group informix. Group informix is set up in the /etc/group file. Note: Depending on your system, user and group informix are established either by a system administrator or by the installation script the first time an Informix product is in- stalled on your system. Your Informix product installation letter discusses the creation of user and group informix in greater detail. Since you cannot be user informix, and you are not a member of group informix, you must access Informix product files as a member of "other." All Informix product files are installed with access permissions for "other." Informix File Permissions The following example shows file permissions in a top-level $INFORMIXDIR directory that only contains the installed INFORMIX-SQL product: ------------ File Owner Group Type Owner Group Other Name Name Date Time File Name d rwx r-x r-x informix informix Feb 9 14:55 ./ d rwx r-x r-x root mis Jan 21 05:42 ../ d rwx r-x r-x informix informix Jan 7 17:29 bin/ d rwx r-x r-x informix informix Jan 7 17:30 demo/ d rwx r-x r-x informix informix Jan 7 17:30 etc/ d rwx r-x r-x informix