:Info: access.gi: 01/29/82 access

     Access to information on Multics is discussed in five separate
sections below.  The sections are named:

     Access class
     Access control
     Access control list (ACL)
     Access isolation mechanism (AIM)
     Access modes


Access class:
     An access isolation mechanism (AIM) attribute that denotes
the sensitivity of information contained in a segment, directory,
multisegment file, or message in a message segment.  An access class
is associated with an entry for its lifetime.


Access control:
     The mechanism for determining who can reference or modify
segments (files) and directories.


Access control list (ACL):
     A set of access identifiers specifying who can access a segment
or directory.  Associated with each access identifier is a set of
allowed modes of access to that segment or directory.  There is an ACL
for each segment and each directory.


Access isolation mechanism (AIM):
     The mechanism used to guarantee that only authorized persons
access certain classes of information.  See access_isolation.gi.info
for more information.  See aim_use.gi.info for notes and suggestions
for users who plan to use the Access Isolation mechanism.


Access modes:
     A way to identify the kinds of access that can be set for a
segment or directory.  The access modes for segments are read (r),
write (w), execute (e), and null (n).  Those for directories are
status (s), modify (m), append (a), and null (n).

For information on extended access modes for a mailbox, see
extended_access.gi.info.


:Info: active_function.gi: 02/04/82 active function

     A function specified in a command line whose value (a character
string) becomes part of an expanded reevaluated command line.


:Info: AIM.gi: aim.gi: 02/04/82 AIM (Access Isolation Mechanism)

     The mechanism used to guarantee that only authorized persons
access certain classes of information.  See access_isolation.gi.info
for more information.  See aim_use.gi.info for notes and suggestions
for users who plan to use the Access Isolation mechanism.


:Info: ACL.gi: acl.gi: 02/11/82 ACL (Access Control List)

     A set of access identifiers specifying who can access a segment
or directory.  Associated with each access identifier is a set of
allowed modes of access to that segment or directory.  There is an ACL
for each segment and each directory.


:Info: alternate_name.gi: 02/04/82 alternate name

     A segment, directory, multisegment file, or link can have more
than one name and may be referred to equally well by any one of its
names.  One of the names is the primary name.  A segment often has
more than one name because it is a program with alternate entry
points; commands often have short names as well as long ones for
convenience in typing (i.e., cwd instead of change_wdir).


:Info: answering_service.gi: 02/04/82 answering service

     The subsystem that runs in the Initializer process and logs users
in and out.


:Info: archives.gi: 02/04/82 archives

     Segments used to conserve space.  When storing a group of
segments, the contents of the individual segments can be packed
together in an archive to eliminate breakage in the last page of each
segment.  Segments placed in an archive are called archive components.
See the description of the archive command.


:Info: attach.gi: 02/04/82 attach

     The act of associating an I/O switch with a file, or other I/O
switch.  For example, the normal output switch (user_output) is
usually attached to the terminal, but can be attached to a file via
the file_output command.


:Info: authorization.gi: 02/04/82 authorization

     An access isolation mechanism (AIM) attribute of a process
that denotes the range of information the process can access.  An
authorization is associated with a process for its lifetime.



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Historical Background

This edition of the Multics software materials and documentation is provided and donated
to Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Group BULL including BULL HN Information Systems Inc. 
as a contribution to computer science knowledge.  
This donation is made also to give evidence of the common contributions of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Bell Laboratories, General Electric, Honeywell Information Systems Inc., Honeywell BULL Inc., Groupe BULL
and BULL HN Information Systems Inc. to the development of this operating system. 
Multics development was initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Project MAC (1963-1970),
renamed the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the mid 1970s, under the leadership
of Professor Fernando Jose Corbato. Users consider that Multics provided the best software architecture 
for managing computer hardware properly and for executing programs. Many subsequent operating systems 
incorporated Multics principles.
Multics was distributed in 1975 to 2000 by Group Bull in Europe , and in the U.S. by Bull HN Information Systems Inc., 
as successor in interest by change in name only to Honeywell Bull Inc. and Honeywell Information Systems Inc. .

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Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these programs and their documentation for any purpose and without
fee is hereby granted,provided that the below copyright notice and historical background appear in all copies
and that both the copyright notice and historical background and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the names of MIT, HIS, BULL or BULL HN not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining
to distribution of the programs without specific prior written permission.
    Copyright 1972 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Honeywell Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by BULL HN Information Systems Inc.
    Copyright 2006 by Bull SAS
    All Rights Reserved