On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 07:54:15AM -0600, Les Mikesell wrote:
>Because the device changes ownership
Traditional unix behavior is that open file descriptors stay open and
working even if access permissions change.
Actually no. The tty behaviour has been different since the earliest days
for precisely these reasons
turn instead of rudely breaking a working process). I can see where
this might make sense on the VT keyboard since that device is
necessarily shared during the procedure. But it doesn't make any more
sense to interrupt a running phone or music player session because
someone else is temporarily using a certain keybord than it would to
break a running tape backup for the same circumstance. Or at least this
should be left as an easily chosen local policy.
And local policy should defalt to security first.
the first session being interrupted has root access anyway and could
bypass the access restrictions the switch tries to impose. Wouldn't it
be better to kernel locking or some mechanism that can really ensure
exclusive access for situations like a phone session?
VT switch locking policy is handled by X, and by X clients, the kernel just
implements the rules.
Your objections really make no rational sense anyway, you don't
"accidentally"
switch sessions to another user.
Alan