1) Explain why you might want to change the permissions on certain files or directories that you have created. Provide examples of at least two such scenarios.

2. UNIX treats all devices as files.  Explain why this was an innovative feature when it was first introduced, and how it adds flexibility to this operating system, including at least one example of a benefit resulting from this feature.

 

Question 1

There are several reasons why an individual might want to change the permissions on certain files they have created. Changing the permissions in these files may be effective in permitting other users to read different files. As a developer, there might be different types of files that are hidden and exclusive which they may not require all users to access. For example, in an organizational setup, there might be specific rights that will only be accessible to the top employees. When in an organizational crisis, there might be the need for many employees to be granted specific rights to clear the existing backlog. As a departmental manager, there will be a need to allocate even junior employees the right to enter data in the system to help cover the unrecorded work. Doing so will fasten the data entry process and ensure the target is reached in a short time.

File permissions will be important in helping organizations share their information with a wide range of users. The granting of these permissions by developers is effective in making everyone access the information that is to be shared. What makes it more interesting is the high privacy levels these permissions provide. For such concerns, everyone can read the information passed by the developer or management in an organizational setup but only those granted the rights can modify it. Through such permissions, different users and groups will be able to own these files and use them towards achieving the desired goals. File permissions are also important in controlling the access of files in UNIX systems (Both, 2020). With different levels of permissions, to access these sites requires a special code referred to as rights that are only granted by the developer. These rights of access will be essential in helping solve different problems in the organizational setup.

Question 2

In UNIX, every device is treated as a file for several reasons. The main reason for these provisions is to simplify all the programs. When operating, all these types of files are treated with special attributes. With previous operating systems before Unix treating these devices based on their characteristics, the new system has granted a lift over the negative considerations that might be associated with them. With two different types of inputs, Unix conducts these operations, mainly to provide a simpler version of the standard input and output in its processes. In Unix, everything is considered a file due to its defining features (Both, 2020). Moreover, the program has several derivatives equipped with a wide range of output and input resources like directories and documents that are exposed through different system files.

For example, the virtual system under /proc is generally used to expose several types of system properties as files. In the entire program, these files have different standards. Some of the variety of standards include the owner and the access permissions granted to different users. Despite being able to be queried by the same classic tools belonging to Unix, it is not a universal program that is considered very fast. Moreover, it is believed that the existing wide range of virtual filesystems and pseudo programs exposing data and key information. Existing in a hierarchy, these structures are mounted on a single file. With such considerations and the existing documentation highlighting some of the reasons why Unix considers everything as a file, I believe that these considerations are true.