Jim Henderson wrote:
> Well, not really.  The Unix mechanism is saying "you tried to do 
> something that you don't have permission to do".  Then the user tries 
> with elevated privs.
> 
> The Unix mechanism isn't saying "I'm going to ask for permission to do 
> this".

Sure. Now write a version of the UNIX "rm" command that asks you for the 
admin prompt if it fails.

> For example, if I run yast2 -i on my openSUSE box, it's going to prompt 
> me using gnomesu or kdesu for the root password (and the dialog explicity 
> says "root privileges are needed to perform this action").

Right. That's like clicking on a link with a shield icon, under Vista.

> It doesn't try with lower privs (unless I type too quickly, I need to file a bug on 
> that) and then say "hey, I need to ask you for permission to do this, 
> back in a second" and then a dialog prompts me.

The things that UAC prompts twice for are the things it tries to do that may 
or may not work without elevation. Like, say, creating a file in a 
write-protected directory - you can't tell if that's going to work before 
you try it, so you try it without privilege, and if it fails, it says "Say, 
do you want to try that with privilege?"  And if you say yes, it prompts for 
the password.

If you're just (say) trying to modify firewall settings, there's no prompt 
beforehand saying "I'm going to prompt you for this." If it knows it needs 
escalation before it tries, it doesn't tell you it's going to ask first.

> Well, heaven forbid we train users on how to do things and what things 
> mean. ;-)

Clearly it doesn't work, tho. Otherwise, Windows would be as free of viri as 
Linux is. Users use admin accounts for everyday work, run random executables 
mailed to them by people they don't know, and so on. That's just the reality 
of it.

> Seriously, sometimes it's a wonder that they ever figure out how to use a 
> word processor or spreadsheet.  The apps don't need to treat them like 
> idiots, there's no reason for the OS to do so either.

They aren't idiots. They just don't know enough about computers to know why 
some random application would be asking them for permission to do something.

>> Explain to someone who doesn't understand computers how to tell when
>> it's OK to answer yes to the prompt.
> 
> As noted above, have done so.  It's not rocket science.

No, you claimed you taught your mom how to know when it's OK to let a 
program communicate outbound. I'm not sure how that relates to anything, nor 
did you tell me what you told her.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   My fortune cookie said, "You will soon be
   unable to read this, even at arm's length."

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