"wheel" (was root (Was: another 'su encancer'))

[Jonathan I. Kamens]

In article <1991Apr29.123607.6635 at csv.viccol.edu.au>, timcc at csv.viccol.edu.au (Tim Cook) writes:
|> Compile mine with -DAUTHORIZED_GROUP='"wheel"', or whatever, if you prefer
|> that to "root".  (By the way, what does the group name "wheel" mean?)

>From the Jargon File:

wheel: n. 1. A privilege bit that canonically allows the
   possessor to perform any operation on a timesharing system, such as
   read or write any file on the system regardless of protections,
   change or look at any address in the running monitor, crash or
   reload the system, and kill/create jobs and user accounts.  The
   term was invented on the TENEX operating system, and carried over
   to TOPS-20, XEROX-IFS and others.  2. A person who posses a wheel
   bit.  "We need to find a wheel to unwedge the hung tape drives."

   This term entered the UNIX culture from TWENEX in the mid-80s and
   has been gaining popularity there (esp. at university sites).
   Privilege bits are sometimes called `wheel bits'.  The state of
   being in a privileged logon is sometimes called `wheel mode'.
   See also {root}.

-- 
Jonathan Kamens			              USnail:
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