flaming-grackles

icacls gripes and moaning

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:18:23 +0000

icacls is quite useful for setting permissions. Its save and restore feature is almost very useful. I say “almost” because it is annoyingly narrow; it is not possible to directly transfer permissions from one file to another differently-named file. The saved permissions specify the exact file name in addition to the permission string.

This makes sense for making bulk permission copies from one source to another. However, it’s annoying if your goal is to use one file as a “template” for the permissions of another file.

ICACLS name /save aclfile [/T] [/C] [/L] [/Q]
    stores the DACLs for the files and folders that match the name
    into aclfile for later use with /restore. Note that SACLs,
    owner, or integrity labels are not saved.

The documentation is also erroneous. It claims that saved permissions do not include integrity level information. This is false.

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>copy con low
 ^Z
        1 file(s) copied.

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>dir
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is 3A16-AD98

 Directory of C:\Temp\IntegrityTest

31/01/2012  04:00    <DIR>          .
31/01/2012  04:00    <DIR>          ..
31/01/2012  04:00                 0 low
               1 File(s)              0 bytes
               2 Dir(s)  534,558,851,072 bytes free

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls low
low BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
    NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
    BUILTIN\Users:(I)(RX)
    NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls low /setintegritylevel l
processed file: low
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls low
low BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
    NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
    BUILTIN\Users:(I)(RX)
    NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)
    Mandatory Label\Low Mandatory Level:(NW)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>copy con destination
^Z
        1 file(s) copied.

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls destination
destination BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
            NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
            BUILTIN\Users:(I)(RX)
            NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls low /save acl.txt
processed file: low
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>type acl.txt
  o w
 D : A I ( A ; I D ; F A ; ; ; B A ) ( A ; I D ; F A ; ; ; S Y ) ( A ; I D ; 0 x 1 2 0 0 a 9 ; ; ; B U ) ( A ; I D ; 0 x 1 3 0 1 b f
 ; ; ; A U ) S : ( M L ; ; N W ; ; ; L W )

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>notepad acl.txt

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>type acl.txt
destination
D:AI(A;ID;FA;;;BA)(A;ID;FA;;;SY)(A;ID;0x1200a9;;;BU)(A;ID;0x1301bf;;;AU)S:(ML;;NW;;;LW)

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls . /restore acl.txt
processed file: .\destination
Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>icacls destination
destination BUILTIN\Administrators:(I)(F)
            NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM:(I)(F)
            BUILTIN\Users:(I)(RX)
            NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users:(I)(M)
            Mandatory Label\Low Mandatory Level:(NW)

Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

C:\Temp\IntegrityTest>

My Weekly Artists for the week ending 2012-01-22

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:30:37 +0000

Soulwax (15)
DJ Schmolli (2)

Europe proposes a "right to be forgotten"

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:25:18 +0000

European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding has proposed a sweeping reform of the EU’s data protection rules, claiming that the proposed rules will both cost less for governments and corporations to administer and simultaneously strengthen online privacy rights.

The 1995 Data Protection Directive already gives EU citizens certain rights over their data. Organizations can process data only with consent, and only to the extent that they need to fulfil some legitimate purpose. They are also obliged to keep data up-to-date, and retain personally identifiable data for no longer than is necessary to perform the task that necessitated collection of the data in the first place. They must ensure that data is kept secure, and whenever processing of personal data is about to occur, they must notify the relevant national data protection agency.

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Google works on Internet standards with TCP proposals, SPDY standardization

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:09:44 +0000

As part of Google’s continuing quest to dole out Web pages ever more quickly, the search giant has proposed a number of changes to Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the ubiquitous Internet protocol used to reliably deliver HTTP and HTTPS data (and much more besides) over the ‘net.

Google’s focus is on reducing latency between client machines and servers, and in particular, reducing the number of round trips (either client to server and back to client, or vice versa) required. When data is sent over a TCP connection, its receipt must be acknowledged by the receiving end. The sending end can only send a certain number of packets before it must wait for an acknowledgement. The time taken to receive an acknowledged is governed by the round-trip time (RTT). With high bandwidth, high latency connections, clients and servers can end up spending most of their time waiting for acknowledgements, rather than sending packets.

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Jurors: leave the information age—or go to jail

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:05:44 +0000

An English court has sentenced a juror to six months in prison for contempt of court after she performed research on the Internet and forced the abandonment of a criminal trial.

Psychology lecturer Theodora Dallas, 34, was a member of the jury in the trial of Barry Medlock, accused of causing grievous bodily harm. She looked up certain information related to the trial on the Internet, came across information concerning Medlock, and told her fellow jurors what she had found. One of them informed the judge, causing the judge to abandon the trial. Medlock was later retried and found guilty.

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Microsoft gives a glimpse of the Windows 8 store experience

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:05:44 +0000

Microsoft has revealed a little more of the Windows 8 Store experience, with screenshots and video of browsing the store, application search, and the install and upgrade experience.

The store will be the sole source for non-enterprise users to get Metro applications; it will also include links, but no purchasing or installation, to certain desktop applications. The post describes the major parts of the store—browsing, searching, the descriptions for each application—and showed how application pages will pick up their particular application’s branding.

The store will handle installation and updating for Metro applications. Updates will be automatically downloaded in the background—though only when using an unmetered Internet connection—and installed on-demand.

Recognizing the growth in multi-PC households, the store also handles reacquisition of previously purchased/downloaded applications on different PCs. Apps can be installed on up to five machines, and the store can show you all the apps you’ve bought or installed on other systems plus allow you to install them all together on the current machine. Applications can even implement roaming, allowing not just the app itself, but also all its states and settings to be installed on a different computer.

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My Weekly Artists for the week ending 2012-01-15

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:05:44 +0000

A look ahead: 2012 is Microsoft's turning point

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:00:17 +0000

A look ahead: 2012 is Microsoft's turning point:

2011 was in many ways a quiet (albeit thoroughly profitable) year for Microsoft. The company made big, important announcements—the Nokia partnership, the Windows 8 reveal—but neither…

Microsoft to make CES 2012 its last amid claims of a falling out

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:29:51 +0000

Microsoft to make CES 2012 its last amid claims of a falling out:

Claiming that the timing of the event meshes poorly with the company’s product launches, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications Frank X. Shaw announced on…

Leadership change could herald Windows 8-powered phones; what's the hurry?

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:27:45 +0000

Leadership change could herald Windows 8-powered phones; what's the hurry?:

Andy Lees, head of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division for more than three years, has been moved by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer into a new “time-critical” role that somehow combines…

Azure price cuts, bigger databases, now with node.js and MongoDB support, Hadoop on its way

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:11:16 +0000

Azure price cuts, bigger databases, now with node.js and MongoDB support, Hadoop on its way:

Microsoft has rolled out a big update to its Azure cloud computing platform to make it cheaper, easier to manage, easier to scale, and easier to use with popular open source software.

Is Apple using patents to hurt open standards?

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:30:48 +0000

Is Apple using patents to hurt open standards?:

Opera developer Haavard Moen has accused Apple of repeatedly using patents to undermine the development of Web standards and block their finalization.

World Wide Web Consortium…

Microsoft brings the Genius Bar to the Web with Answer Desk

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:55:54 +0000

Microsoft brings the Genius Bar to the Web with Answer Desk:

Microsoft has quietly launched a new service to help Windows and Office users get the most out of their PCs. Answer Desk is an online version of the Answer Desks found in…

Win 8 app store revealed: more money for devs, beta in late February

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 06:36:02 +0000

Win 8 app store revealed: more money for devs, beta in late February:

In San Francisco today, Microsoft started talking up the Windows Store, the online marketplace for Metro-style Windows 8 applications. With Apple’s Mac App Store and iTunes Store…

Can a Windows Phone Web demo win over iPhone and Android users?

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:50:10 +0000

Can a Windows Phone Web demo win over iPhone and Android users?:

Keen to get consumers to take a look at Windows Phone, Microsoft has released a browser-based demo of its smartphone operating system for iPhone and Android users. The Web site…

With WP7 Mango available for all, Microsoft pushes ahead with new updates

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:29:56 +0000

With WP7 Mango available for all, Microsoft pushes ahead with new updates:

Windows Phone’s “Mango” update has been pushed out to the last few stragglers. The final handset to receive the update is the Dell Venue Pro—a quirky device with a portrait mode…

Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 4: Windows 7 users need not apply

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:27:33 +0000

Internet Explorer 10 Platform Preview 4: Windows 7 users need not apply:

Microsoft has released the fourth preview of Internet Explorer 10. As is the case with previous Platform Previews, the release is aimed at developers: the new features are…

UK "cyber strategy": Stuxnet, censorship, and cyber-specials

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:18:59 +0000

UK "cyber strategy": Stuxnet, censorship, and cyber-specials:

On Friday, the UK government released its “Cyber Security Strategy,” acknowledging the importance of the Internet to modern life, but also the risks it poses from criminals,…

My Weekly Artists for the week ending 2011-11-27

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:01:42 +0000

My Weekly Artists for the week ending 2011-11-27:

For Thanksgiving, give your parents a treat: upgrade their browser

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 01:07:25 +0000

For Thanksgiving, give your parents a treat: upgrade their browser:

Thanksgiving is here, and across the US millions will be visiting parents and grandparents, eating themselves into a coma, and watching sports on TV. Though it’s traditional to spend…