/Library/Java/Home/lib/jvm.cfg Strangeness

[ljfong]

For some reason this file always has the wrong permission set even after the permission is repaired. The correct permission should be 644, but it is reset back to 600 if a non-root user ever runs 'java'. If the permission is 600, running 'java' produces error of no JVM can be determined and the error points to possibly corruption of jvm.cfg file. I'm on Tiger 10.4.2. Something in the system is insisting 600 permission on the file. Any idea?

Here's what happens:

[Fri Aug 05 02:56 PM][ttyp6][0][~/temp]
ljfong@lucky$ ls -l /Library/Java/Home/lib/jvm.cfg
-rw-r--r--   1 root  wheel  668 Aug  5 14:56 /Library/Java/Home/lib/jvm.cfg
[Fri Aug 05 02:58 PM][ttyp6][0][~/temp]
ljfong@lucky$ java -version

java version "1.4.2_07"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.2_07-215)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 1.4.2-50, mixed mode)
[Fri Aug 05 02:58 PM][ttyp6][0][~/temp]
ljfong@lucky$ 
[Fri Aug 05 02:58 PM][ttyp6][0][~/temp]
ljfong@lucky$ ls -l /Library/Java/Home/lib/jvm.cfg
-rw-------   1 root  wheel  668 Aug  5 14:58 /Library/Java/Home/lib/jvm.cfg

[TheDuke81]

wow, that is weird! I'll go fool around and see if I can figure something out for you

[ljfong]

For a temporary fix, I just did chflags schg on the file as root once I fixed it to 644. The command made it impossible to root/system to change the mode of 644 to anything else, but it is really a bandage solution rather than a permanent one, since I still have not the slightest clue why the system automatically does that.

[rhashimoto]

I had the same problem, and I believe I just found out why. Do you by any chance set umask? I had my umask set 077, and when I changed it to 022 the permissions on jvm.cfg remained correct. It looks like the permissions on this file are being anded with the user's umask even though the owner of the file is root.