protector

Protect branches of a GitHub repository (create branch protection rules)

$ protector [branches_regex] -repos [organization/repository]

$ protector -dry-run [branches_regex] -repos [organization/repository]

$ protector -free [branches_regex] -repos [organization/repository]

protector [options] <command> <target>

--add <user|group>:<permissions>
    Adds an access rule for the specified user or group to the target file or directory. Permissions are typically specified as a string like 'rwx' for read, write, execute.

--remove <user|group>
    Removes all access rules for the specified user or group from the target.

--list
    Lists the access rules currently applied to the target file or directory.

--clear
    Removes all access rules from the target file or directory, resetting it to default permissions.

--default <permissions>
    Sets the default permissions for new files and directories created within a protected directory.

--recursive
    Applies the specified command recursively to all files and subdirectories within the target directory.

--help
    Displays help information about the `protector` command and its options.

--version
    Displays the version number of the `protector` command.

The `protector` command is a fictional Linux utility designed to enhance file and directory security through a flexible and customizable access control mechanism. Unlike standard `chmod` which uses permission bits based on user, group, and other, `protector` aims to provide finer-grained control leveraging access control lists (ACLs) or a custom policy engine (implementation dependent).

It allows administrators to specify precisely which users or groups can perform specific actions (read, write, execute, delete) on protected resources. Access can be granted to individual users, named groups, or even based on contextual conditions (e.g., time of day, source IP address - assuming those features are supported in a more sophisticated, theoretical implementation).

The underlying implementation may use extended attributes, access control lists, or a custom database to store and enforce the access policies. The goal is to offer a more manageable and scalable alternative to traditional Linux permissions for complex access control scenarios. Think of it as a hypothetical tool that simplifies the management of complex ACL rules.

This is a hypothetical command. It does not exist in standard Linux distributions. The behavior described here is illustrative and the actual implementation details would significantly influence its real-world usability.

protector --add alice:rw /var/www/html/private
Grants read and write access to the 'private' directory to the user 'alice'.

protector --remove bob /var/www/html/private
Removes all access rules for the user 'bob' from the 'private' directory.

protector --list /var/www/html/private
Lists all access control rules currently set on the 'private' directory.

protector --recursive --default r-x /var/www/html/protected_area
Sets the default permission r-x on protected_area and recursively to all files and directory under it.

This command likely leverages either extended attributes (xattrs) or Access Control Lists (ACLs). ACLs offer fine-grained control beyond traditional Unix permissions. The command could also be implemented using a custom database to store permission settings. The protector could add a layer of abstraction to easily modify complex ACL rules.

chmod(1), chown(1), chgrp(1), getfacl(1), setfacl(1)