[Zope] Security policies and roles problem

Kenneth Chin kenchin@engineer.com
Sun, 25 Feb 2001 17:48:36 +0000


Dear All,

I'm using Zope 2.2.5 on Linux and I have a problem of
setting security policies and roles.

I have the following structure:
/
|--acl_users
| |--user0
| |--user1
| |--user2
|--user1
| |--acl_users
| |--pygresql_db_connection
| |--index_html
|--user2
  |--acl_users
  |--index_html

In the root folder (/), I defined a user defined role
'Admin'. For each user, I set the following roles: 'user0'
is 'Manager'; 'user1' is 'Admin'; 'user2' is 'Operator'.

I intend to have 'user0' as the administrator of the entire
site, so Manager role should be appropriate. Both 'user1'
and 'user2' are local managers, and they should be defined
in acl_users folders in the respective folders. But I need
each of them to have access to each other's folders, hence I
have to defined them in a higher structure.

I also enabled ALL permissions for 'Admin' in 'user1' and
'Operator' in 'user2' folders, but enabled only Access
contents information, View and View management screen for
both 'Admin' and 'Operator' in root so that each user can
view the root but can make changes only in their respective
folders.

The problem comes when I log in as either 'user1' or
'user2'. For example, as 'user1', I add a new object
acl_users in /user1. acl_users is created successfully, but
when I click on it, the Contents tab is not visible, ie. I
cannot manage users. I can set permissions, take over
ownerships, but cannot manage users. Similarly, I can create
and delete PyGreSQL database connection in /user1, but the
Properties tab of PyGreSQL is not visible.

'user1' can have access to acl_users/Contents and
PyGreSQL/Properties ONLY when I reset the role to Manager in
/acl_users. I need 'user1' to have Manager-equivalent
permissions ONLY in user1 folder, but have limited access to
other folders. It seems to be that acl_users and PyGreSQL
grant the user full access ONLY when they are Manager,
regardless of the permissions enabled in their user defined
roles.

Is this a bug or a feature, or have I misunderstood
something here. This scenario is like the one described in
the Zope Book Chapter 6: Security --- Scientist and
SalesPerson. I would like Scientist or user1 and SalesPerson
or user2 to have full control in their folders WITHOUT being
Manager so that the administrator or user0 can be Manager.
Is there a way round this?

Thanks!

Regards,
Kenneth