STICKY(8)               OpenBSD System Manager's Manual              STICKY(8)

NAME
     sticky - sticky text and append-only directories

DESCRIPTION
     A special file mode, called the sticky bit (mode S_ISVTX), is used to in-
     dicate special treatment for files and directories.  See chmod(2) or the
     file /usr/include/sys/stat.h for an explanation of file modes.

STICKY FILES
     Historically, an executable shareable file which had the sticky bit set
     was not immediately discarded from swap space after execution.  The ker-
     nel hoarded the text segment of the file for future reuse, thus avoiding
     having to reload the program.  This is no longer true on modern systems;
     the current virtual memory system keeps track of recently used executa-
     bles, making the sticky bit for files redundant.  The sticky bit can
     still be set on files, but without any effect.

     Only the superuser can set the sticky bit on a file, though the owner of
     the file may clear the sticky bit.

STICKY DIRECTORIES
     A directory with the `sticky bit' set places restrictions on file dele-
     tion: a file in a sticky directory 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 superuser.
     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 others' files.

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

HISTORY
     A sticky command appeared in Version 32V AT&T UNIX.

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

OpenBSD 4.7                      May 31, 2007                                1
