From: Gavin Kistner <gavin@...>
Date: 2005-09-27T21:58:24+09:00
Subject: Re: changing permissions in windows XP using ruby!!

On Sep 27, 2005, at 1:16 AM, kraf001 wrote:
> I am writing an application in ruby ([U]to run in windows XP[/U]) ...
[snip]
> I tried to give permissions to everyone (as I would do in Linux using
> chmod 0777 filename) by using the code:
>
> f = File.new(path, "a+")
> puts File.chmod(0777,path)

 From the documentation for the File class:
[Slim:~] gavinkis% ri File
...[snip]...
      On non-Posix operating systems, there may be only the ability to
      make a file read-only or read-write. In this case, the remaining
      permission bits will be synthesized to resemble typical values.  
For
      instance, on Windows NT the default permission bits are +0644+,
      which means read/write for owner, read-only for all others. The
      only change that can be made is to make the file read-only, which
      is reported as +0444+.

(Or see it in glorious HTML at http://phrogz.net/ProgrammingRuby/ 
ref_c_file.html)