UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Can some one help me with this issue . I require to restrict a particular user to a particular folder alone when they log in. I dont want this particular user to come out of this folder.

Kindly help

On what architecture OS and version?
Is there a restricted shell on your platform?
Do a man of rsh or rksh (r for restricted not remote...)

There is an open source application called "chrsh" that will provide a chroot'ed shell access. This should provide the features you are looking for.

Also it would be helpful to know how the user is going to log in? (ssh, ftp, telnet, cvs?).

Depending on your particular needs, a chroot would do the work or a custom shell (like the ones mentioned above).

It would also be helpful to know what the user is allowed to do.

The Resricted Shell suggested above is a very good recommendation. In addition you will need to force a Restricted Path in the profile file and point it only to a directory containing a copy of the unix commands which the user is allowed to use.
This is hard work to set up and I have had to do it for users on technical training courses totally unrelated to the main operation of the server. Always assume that the trainee can Google common hacks. Dangerous programs are the likes of "vi" and "more" which can allow breakout to Shell. If in doubt don't let the user access the program or data.
Advise enable long Shell history on Restricted accounts and analyse the content. 99% will be boring. [There are legal issues here where you need to warn staff that access is monitored. I am not a lawyer so DYOR].

sorry for the delayed response.....The user normally logs in through an FTP tool WS_FTP PRO and download some patients files from that location . We are using Sun Solaris 10. we wanted the user to access only their physician office patients from that dir....we dont want them to move one level above the dir and access other physician office patients info....

kindly help.

If they don't have execute permissions to the directory below that directory they won't be able to chdir through it. So, what permissions are on the directory, what user and group does it belong to, and what groups does the user in question belong to?