file execution

ygloo · 11-07-2006, 10:48 AM

there is a "file" in /root which permissions are:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root

when i try:
/root/file <-'
answer is "permission denied"
when i try the same with a "." at the beggining - file executes!?
. /root/file <-'

and i'm trying this as a normal user (!root)
how to explain??

fordeck · 11-07-2006, 11:01 AM

If the permissions for file are:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root

This file is not executable

/root is the home directory of the supersuser root and a normal user should not be able to do anything in that directory.

/root on a typical install is not included in the PATH so if you were root and wanted to execute file you would have to type the absolute path to the file.

soggycornflake · 11-07-2006, 11:25 AM

Quote:

when i try the same with a "." at the beggining - file executes!?
. /root/file <-'

No, it doesn't. It is sourced into the current shell, which is not the same as executing the file as a script.

And as fordeck says, you shouldn't be able to acces this file as a normal user. Make sure the permissions for /root are 700 (-rwx------).