*BSD News Article 91253


Return to BSD News archive

Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au!news.apana.org.au!cantor.edge.net.au!news.mira.net.au!news.vbc.net!vbcnet-west!knews.uk0.vbc.net!vbcnet-gb!azure.xara.net!xara.net!netcom.net.uk!ix.netcom.com!news.idt.net!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.cis.ohio-state.edu!nntp.sei.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!sumner+
From: Gerry S Hayes <sumner@CMU.EDU>
Newsgroups: comp.editors,comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: What is vi? (Re: Betting on Unix)
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 1997 01:40:44 -0500
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 25
Distribution: inet
Message-ID: <0n=CRg200YUg18wEg0@andrew.cmu.edu>
References: <5d3sr2$44n@nntp1.best.com>   <330B2333.38B6@to.me.please> <5ehglc$lef@innocence.interface-business.de> <330EF0FF.55CE@to.me.please> <5esial$eit@innocence.interface-business.de> <5esunl$9bv@web.nmti.com> <3313B49A.2B42@ibm.net> <331b5865.0@131.162.2.91> <857531709.6661.1@msn-9-16.binc.net> <331D71A4.556B@absyss.fr> <5fto1u$jde$2@peachy.apana.org.au> <pdxvi6z9x8j.fsf_-_@vesuri.Helsinki.FI> <0n_vIm200YUf0Q5OA0@andrew.cmu.edu> <5ggpcj$5sd@clarknet.clark.net> <0n=6zb200YUg0F3Lk0@andrew.cmu.edu>
	<5ght26$o3i@clarknet.clark.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: po8.andrew.cmu.edu
In-Reply-To: <5ght26$o3i@clarknet.clark.net>
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.editors:22345 comp.unix.bsd.misc:2827 comp.os.linux.misc:164908

T.E.Dickey <dickey@clark.net> writes:
> but (not to belabor the issue) not all "traditional" vi's implement
> modelines.
>
Fair enough.  Still, it's annoying to see a useful feature abandoned
because it can prevent a security risk if used improperly or
implemented poorly.

> (It's a low-priority wishlist item for vile; but I intend only to be
> able to set tabstops, etc. -- invoking shell commands is the part that
> causes people concern).

Make sure that you can't set options that will harm the user (set
shell=/tmp/rm-home-directory, for instance) if some modelinesecure
option is set.  Also, make it possible to execute modelines only on
files that the user owns.  There are some real security issues here to
consider.  Elvis has taken a look at some of these issues.

Cordially,

  Sumner

--
Respond by post or email, but please don't do both; my mailbox is
already quite full.