From:	"John M. Aldrich" <fighteer AT cs DOT com>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: Warning: Off-topic!
Date:	Mon, 13 Apr 1998 18:40:39 -0400
Organization:	Two pounds of chaos and a pinch of salt.
Lines:	39
Message-ID:	<35329467.187B@cs.com>
References:	<3532051a DOT 7934206 AT nntp-oslo DOT uninett DOT no>
NNTP-Posting-Host:	ppp204.cs.com
Mime-Version:	1.0
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
DJ-Gateway:	from newsgroup comp.os.msdos.djgpp

Stian Danielsen wrote:
> 
> I am using DJGPP on a computer at the school I study. My problem is
> that the systems administrator is regularly running a program that
> deletes everything that is on the hard-drive of every computer that is
> not supposed to be there. Therefore I have to - equally regularly -
> reinstall djgpp on the machine to be able to keep woking with it.
> The administrator is not a very flexible person and although it is not
> illegal for me to install DJGPP on the computers he will not agree to
> modify the deletion program to not include DJGPP.
> 
> Therefore I ask if one of you could provide me with a simple program -
> or where to get one such program - that would render the deletion of
> the DJGPP folder impossible without a password provided by me.
> We use Windows 95 at our school.

If your administrator is using a fairly simple deletion program, then
foiling it is as simple as changing the file attributes of everything in
the DJGPP directory (including the directory itself) to read-only,
hidden, system, or a combination of the three.  Read-only is probably
your best bet, as long as the program your admin uses doesn't know to
remove that flag before deleting.  If it does, then you're probably
hosed.  File-level security in a DOS-based environment (including
Win31/Win95) is a bad joke.

My advice:  try to persuade those responsible for your system to put
DJGPP on the computers as a permanent application.  Use these
arguments:  1) It's safe to use (minimal risk of viruses or unsafe
programs), 2) It's small for what it does, 3) It's an excellent tool, 4)
It's free.  Deliberately evading the sysadmin for too long can be
hazardous to your health and your access privileges.  :-)

-- 
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