How to Access Initialization Files at Every Label

Linking a file or copying a file to another label is useful when you want to make a file with a lower label visible at higher labels. The linked file is only writable at the lower label. The copied file is unique at each label and can be modified at each label. For more information, see .copy_files and .link_files Files in Oracle Solaris Trusted Extensions Administrator’s Procedures.

Before You Begin

You must be logged in to a multilevel session. Your site's security policy must permit linking.

Work with your administrator when modifying these files.

1. Decide which initialization files you want to link to other labels.

2. Create or modify the ~/.link_files file.

   Type your entries one file per line. You can specify paths to subdirectories in your home directory, but you cannot use a leading slash. All paths must be within your home directory.

3. Decide which initialization files you want to copy to other labels.

   Copying an initialization file is useful when you have an application that always writes to a file with a specific name, and you need to separate the data at different labels.

4. Create or modify the ~/.copy_files file.

   Type your entries one file per line. You can specify paths to subdirectories in your home directory, but you cannot use a leading slash. All paths must be within your home directory.

Example 3–1 Creating a .copy_files File

In this example, the user wants to customize several initialization files per label. In her organization, a company web server is available at the Restricted level. So, she sets different initial settings in the .mozilla file at the Restricted level. Similarly, she has special templates and aliases at the Restricted level. So, she modifies the .aliases and .soffice initialization files at the Restricted level. She can easily modify these files after creating the .copy_files file at her lowest label.

% vi .copy_files
# Copy these files to my home directory in every zone
.aliases
.mozilla
.soffice

Example 3–2 Creating a .link_files File

In this example, the user wants her mail defaults and shell defaults to be identical at all labels.

% vi .link_files
# Link these files to my home directory in every zone
.cshrc
.mailrc

Troubleshooting

These files do not have safeguards for dealing with anomalies. Duplicate entries in both files or file entries that already exist at other labels can cause errors.