Mailing-List: contact cygwin-help AT cygwin DOT com; run by ezmlm
List-Subscribe: <mailto:cygwin-subscribe AT cygwin DOT com>
List-Archive: <http://sources.redhat.com/ml/cygwin/>
List-Post: <mailto:cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
List-Help: <mailto:cygwin-help AT cygwin DOT com>, <http://sources.redhat.com/ml/#faqs>
Sender: cygwin-owner AT cygwin DOT com
Delivered-To: mailing list cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Message-ID: <911C684A29ACD311921800508B7293BA037D2AA5@cnmail>
From: Mark Bradshaw <bradshaw AT staff DOT crosswalk DOT com>
To: "'Corinna Vinschen'" <cygwin AT cygwin DOT com>
Subject: RE: [RFD]: Changing datatypes for uid_t/gid_t
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 15:29:03 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19)
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"

I'd vote for 32 bit to give maximum compatibility with other systems and old
software.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Corinna Vinschen [mailto:cygwin AT cygwin DOT com]
> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 1:27 PM
> To: cygwin
> Subject: [RFD]: Changing datatypes for uid_t/gid_t
> 
> 
> Hi,
> 
> due to the problems with uids and gids beyond 65535, we're thinking
> about changing the sizeof these datatypes from the current 16 bit
> to a bigger size.  We discussed that already internally and we have
> a way to do it in a backward compatible way.  Newer applications
> using the new data sizes would not run on older Cygwin DLLs but that's
> already true for many newer applications today so that shouldn't
> matter (at least I'd still sleep well).
> 
> Already existing applications compiled using 16 bit uids/gids would
> still run, provided that you're only using 16 bit clean uids/gids
> with that applications.  If /etc/passwd or /etc/group contain bigger
> uids/gids then... shit happens.
> 
> We have three possible data sizes:
> 
> - 16 bit.  Don't touch anything.  Advantage: Nothing to do for us,
>   no compatibility problems at all.
> 
> - 32 bit.  Coincidentally equal to sizeof int and sizeof long.
>   Advantage:  Should even work with older software which often
>   silently assume that a uid/gid can be stored in a int.
> 
> - 64 bit.  Advantage: Since the RIDs used in Windows are just
>   32 bit, one could create uids/gids with using the upper 32 bit
>   of the uid/gid as a domain/server identifier, e.g.
>   locadmin:10000000500:544:...
>   fooadmin:20000000500:544:...
> 
> So, please tell us what you think is the better approach from your
> point of view.  We're trying to get a picture.
> 
> Thanks,
> Corinna
> 
> -- 
> Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails 
> regarding Cygwin to
> Cygwin Developer                                
> mailto:cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
> Red Hat, Inc.
> 
> --
> Unsubscribe info:      http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple
> Bug reporting:         http://cygwin.com/bugs.html
> Documentation:         http://cygwin.com/docs.html
> FAQ:                   http://cygwin.com/faq/
> 

--
Unsubscribe info:      http://cygwin.com/ml/#unsubscribe-simple
Bug reporting:         http://cygwin.com/bugs.html
Documentation:         http://cygwin.com/docs.html
FAQ:                   http://cygwin.com/faq/