[cap-talk] What's "Discretionary Security" (was: Another "core" principle, capability communication)

[Jonathan S. Shapiro]

On Mon, 2007-01-01 at 19:14 -0800, Mark S. Miller wrote:
> Karp, Alan H wrote:
> > MarkM wrote:
> >>> Let's start with a plain conventional Unix ACL-ish example. 
> >> I create a file 
> >>> foo.txt. I choose not to give you write permission on this 
> >> file. Are we 
> >>> interacting using mandatory or discretionary security?
> >> how would you describe it using these terms?
> >>
> > Discretionary, but the example is flawed.  How can you choose to give a
> > subject write permission in a Unix system?  In a Unix-like system where
> > you can, it's non-discretionary if you want to grant write permission,
> > but the grantee doesn't get it.
> > 
> > Also, VOC is non-discretionary.
> 
> 
> Do you claim these answers are consistent with Shap's stated definitions for 
> these terms? If instead, as I suspect, you have a different meaning in mind, 
> could you state your proposed meaning for these terms?

Alan wouldn't have given that answer if he had caught up with the policy
vs. point of view discussion.