Re: IMMUTABLE and APPEND-ONLY rationales

[Andi Kleen]

On Sun, Jun 25, 2000 at 12:01:44AM +0200, Jamie Lokier wrote:
> Here's a use:
> 
>   cp -al kernel kernel-branch
>   chattr -R +i kernel
> 
> Proceed to edit files in `kernel-branch'-- safely knowing that nothing
> you do there will alter the files in `kernel'.  (Otherwise commands like
> `prog > file' and some editors will change the hard-linked files).

Attributes are per inode, not per link.

Also you could always archive the same mit chmod u-w (editors usually do
not force writing unless specifically asked -- and the evil editors that
do not would soon learn how to remove immutable..)

-Andi