# 2.11BSD#431 - /usr/man/cat8/sticky.0

    STICKY(8)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual		STICKY(8)

    NAME
         sticky - persistent text and append-only directories

    DESCRIPTION
         The sticky bit (file mode bit 01000, see chmod(2)) is used
         to indicate special treatment for certain executable files
         and directories.

    STICKY TEXT EXECUTABLE FILES
         While the `sticky bit' is set on a sharable executable file,
         the text of that file will not be removed from the system
         swap area.  Thus the file does not have to be fetched from
         the file system upon each execution.  Shareable text seg-
         ments are normally placed in a least-frequently-used cache
         after use, and thus the `sticky bit' has little effect on
         commonly-used text images.

         Sharable executable files are made by the -n and -z options
         of ld(1).

         Only the super-user can set the sticky bit on a sharable
         executable file.

    STICKY DIRECTORIES
         A directory whose `sticky bit' is set becomes an append-only
         directory, or, more accurately, a directory in which the
         deletion of files is restricted.  A file in a sticky direc-
         tory may only be removed or renamed by a user if the user
         has write permission for the directory and the user is the
         owner of the file, the owner of the directory, or the
         super-user.  This feature is usefully applied to directories
         such as /tmp which must be publicly writable but should deny
         users the license to arbitrarily delete or rename each oth-
         ers' files.

         Any user may create a sticky directory.  See chmod(1) for
         details about modifying file modes.

    BUGS
         Since the text areas of sticky text executables are stashed
         in the swap area, abuse of the feature can cause a system to
         run out of swap.

         Neither open(2) nor mkdir(2) will create a file with the
         sticky bit set.

    Printed 11/26/99	  May 26, 1986				1

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