Re: 2.2.* kernels w/ glibc-2.1.* allowing ngroups_max to be > 128?

[Jesse Pollard]

Matthew Wilcox <[e-mail]>:
> On Mon, Aug 07, 2000 at 08:38:55AM -0500, Jesse Pollard wrote:
> > The problem is compatability. It is not possible to change the limit if NFS
> > is being used. 256 groups would just about use up half the UDP packet just
> > for the group list.
> 
> that's bogus; RPC/XDR allows for counted arrays.  Colour sun stupid for
> limiting it to 16.

True about RPC/XDR, but NFS isn't XDR.

> > If you think you need 256 groups per user, then I think you should partition
> > your users differently. It sounds like an improper use of groups. This almost
> > sounds like one group per user.
> 
> that's not an improper use of groups.

It becomes improper WHEN it is decided that one user should be in 256 groups.
I wasn't meaning improper as in "should never be done" but more that it is
likely being used for something that it wasn't designed to do.

Now it IS possible to use newgrp to switch groups, and an extension (not
THAT big) can be used to allow a user to switch to any (authorized) group.
It just is not really reasonable to try to be a member of ALL groups ALL the
time.

> -- 
> Revolutions do not require corporate support.
> 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesse I Pollard, II
Email: [e-mail]

Any opinions expressed are solely my own.