How can user mlh delete files that belong to root?

I don't understand how mlh can delete files that belong
to root if mlh is not in the group the file belongs to and
the file has no write permish except for the file owner
(which is root).

Anybody wanna take a stab at it?
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

mlh@appserver mlh $ whoami
mlh
mlh@appserver mlh $ groups
wheel mlh accounting
mlh@appserver mlh $ ls-l /junk
total 4
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 214 Mar 29 06:23 RootTestFile.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 mlh mlh 0 Mar 29 06:23 myscreencap
drwxrwxrwx 2 mlh dewey 48 Mar 21 20:28 testdir
mlh@appserver mlh $ cat /junk/RootTestFile.txt
This file belongs to root. root put it in the /junk
directory on Tuesday morning, about 6:20AM. The permish
will be set up to be -rw-r--r--. With that permish, I
don't think mlh should be able to delete it. Right?
mlh@appserver mlh $ rm /junk/RootTestFile.txt
rm: remove write-protected regular file `/junk/RootTestFile.txt'? y
mlh@appserver mlh $ ls -l /junk
total 0
-rw-r--r-- 1 mlh mlh 0 Mar 29 06:23 myscreencap
drwxrwxrwx 2 mlh dewey 48 Mar 21 20:28 testdir

"MLH" <CRCI@NorthState.net> wrote in message
news:pakj41d7ca1c5rr0gv5lf1hc5sieo0lr82@4ax.com

> I don't understand how mlh can delete files that belong
> to root if mlh is not in the group the file belongs to and
> the file has no write permish except for the file owner
> (which is root).
>
> Anybody wanna take a stab at it?

mlh owns and has write perms on the directory where the file resides.

MLH <CRCI@NorthState.net> writes:

>I don't understand how mlh can delete files that belong
>to root if mlh is not in the group the file belongs to and
>the file has no write permish except for the file owner
>(which is root).

If mhl has write permission to the directory in which those files exist,
then mhl can erase them. erasing is an operation on the directory, not on
the file itself. It removes the file from the directory and filesystem.


>Anybody wanna take a stab at it?
>xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

>mlh@appserver mlh $ whoami
>mlh
>mlh@appserver mlh $ groups
>wheel mlh accounting
>mlh@appserver mlh $ ls-l /junk
>total 4
>-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 214 Mar 29 06:23 RootTestFile.txt
>-rw-r--r-- 1 mlh mlh 0 Mar 29 06:23 myscreencap
>drwxrwxrwx 2 mlh dewey 48 Mar 21 20:28 testdir
>mlh@appserver mlh $ cat /junk/RootTestFile.txt
>This file belongs to root. root put it in the /junk
>directory on Tuesday morning, about 6:20AM. The permish
>will be set up to be -rw-r--r--. With that permish, I
>don't think mlh should be able to delete it. Right?
>mlh@appserver mlh $ rm /junk/RootTestFile.txt
>rm: remove write-protected regular file `/junk/RootTestFile.txt'? y
>mlh@appserver mlh $ ls -l /junk
>total 0
>-rw-r--r-- 1 mlh mlh 0 Mar 29 06:23 myscreencap
>drwxrwxrwx 2 mlh dewey 48 Mar 21 20:28 testdir

You do not show us the permission on the directory /junk. If they are the
same as testdir then anyone can remove any files from /junk. TO allow only
the owners of the files to remove them, do
chmod +t /junk
(as root)