RE: Active Directories

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

On Thu, 2001-11-22 at 21:53, Franck Martin wrote:
> 
> I would put a word of caution in designing such system, is that a file
> dropped there does not create a security problem by having the script
> executing malicious code. I think the mime database should flag what is code
> and what is document from the mime types, so that all applications could use
> the flagging system with documents to warn users about the execution of
> code...
> 

I don't follow.  The active directories would only execute the scripts
they were designed to; dropping an executable or script in the directory
wouldn't cause it to be run, unless the "Active Script" chooses to
execute it.  The danger here isn't any worse than opening a script or
executable in Gnumeric.  If Gnumeric blidnly executed code in files it
opened (think Word macro virii) then there'd be a problem, tho. 
Likewise, the writers of "Active Scripts" would have to be careful.

Unless i totally misunderstood you there, I don't think there is a
serious security problem.  Given my intellect, tho, the former is mroe
likely... ~,^

Sean Etc.

> Franck Martin
> Network and Database Development Officer
> SOPAC South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission
> Fiji
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> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sean Middleditch [mailto:elanthis awesomeplay com]
> Sent: Friday, 23 November 2001 1:24 
> To: gnome-devel-list gnome org
> Subject: Active Directories
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi!
> 
> Browsing thry the GNOME bug database, I came along #63128.
> 
> I think the "Active Folders" thing is a great idea.  I *do not*,
> however, think that building it into Nautilus is too smooth of an idea. 
> That would bloat Nautilus, and then only make these active folders work
> when in Nautilus, which is bad.
> 
> So, I wrote a super quicky little program that does something very very
> simple; it scans a set of directories.  When it finds a file that does
> not begin with a . (no hidden files, or worrying about .. or anythign)
> is calls a script.  The program jsut does that.  I have have made an
> ~/Active/Print directory, attached to ~/Active/.scripts/Print script,
> which sends the file out to lpr.  It works great. ^,^
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