</br></br>
I am basically looking to see what software is out there.</br></br>

As such any configuration is suitable. Just something that can set file permissions of everything in a directory (and sub-directories), with exceptions. </br></br>

My current method uses a configuration file with two types of lines (non-comment) only...

Code:

# Configuration Lines are of the form...
#   Directory/         dir_perms  exec_perms  files_perms  [R]
#   Filename                      permission
#
# Permissions are specified in octal for example '700', '755', '644'
# The special permission '---' means to ignore (don't change) permissions
#
# A directory entry sets not only the directory but the default permissions
# for that directories contents, it will not progress further downward into
# sub-directories unless a 'R' recurse flag is also given.
#
# If you want to make the directory itself different its its contents, you
# need to specify a specific  'Filename' which always overrides a directory
# entry.  As such to open your home directory, but close permissions of
# all files and sub-directories by default, you need to use two lines..
#
#        ./           700   700   600
#        .            755
#

The problems I have with my current method is that while I can set exceptions, for specific files (such as for the home directory itself as above). I can't do it generally.

That is I can make an exception for say "bin/file.dat" (a data file in a directly predominantly executables) I can't make it general "bin/*.dat" or recursivally general "bin/**/*.dat"

I am simply looking for a better solution!

---------- Post updated at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous update was at 05:08 PM ----------

Something like you describe is exactly right, and it is very interesting.

I have even made something like this (see config summery above), but it does not work well, especially for various types of exceptions. Like a specific suffix in a sub-directory.

I searched for solutions to this but it does not really have any good search keys for find such solutions. So I finally decided to ask if anyone has seen something like this.

Some similar problems exist for things like rsync and unison, but they only look at whether to include or exclude a specific file based on patterns, and from my experience of using them, I found them to have serious problems. In any case file permissions need more than just a boolean selection.

This type of problem must have been looked at many times, either with file permissions, or with just file selection (for backup/replication) and I'd like to fine something that actually works!