Re: [Linux-decnet-user] default_device won't alter

[Ben A. <be...@bg...>]

On Mon, 2003-03-24 at 17:00, J M wrote:
> Thanks for the help, but I cannot edit the file.  This
> is why the echo -n won't work.  This is the whole
> reason for writing to the group, because the online
> docs say to use echo,

The docs are correct.  That is how it works.

> but one cannot edit /proc files,

What leads you to believe this is true?

> so it makes no sense and there is no sysctl variable
> to change.

We are obviously missing some part of your problem.  Are you trying to
change the default device as root or as an ordinary user?  Observe:

$ ls -l /proc/sys/net/decnet/
total 0
dr-xr-xr-x    7 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 conf
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 debug
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 default_device
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 di_count
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 dn_count
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 dr_count
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 dst_gc_interval
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 no_fc_max_cwnd
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 node_address
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 node_name
-rw-r--r--    1 root     root            0 Mar 24 17:33 time_wait
$ echo -n "eth0" > /proc/sys/net/decnet/default_device 
bash: /proc/sys/net/decnet/default_device: Permission denied
$ su -
# echo -n "eth0" > /proc/sys/net/decnet/default_device
# cat /proc/sys/net/decnet/default_device
eth0

Or perhaps the problem is that you're attempting to edit with a text
editor?  You can't do that with /proc because it isn't populated with
static files -- all of the content is dynamically generated by procfs. 
However, cat and echo will work for reading/writing in /proc, provided
your owner/permissions line up with the resource you're trying to read
or modify.

Ben
-- 
      Ben Armstrong                -.       Medianet Development Group,
      BAr...@dy...         `-.    Dymaxion Research Limited
      <URL: http://www.dymaxion.ca/>    `-  Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada