> The problem with groff's `write' requests is that they don't work,
> if the user fails to specify the `-U' flag, when invoking groff.
>
> This flag activates the so called `unsafe' mode. While it probably
> isn't the case, this carries the connotation that it makes groff in
> some way harmful, and therefore, some users may be reluctant to use
> it.
It can indeed be harmful, similar to LaTeX's \write functionality.
Due to groff's embedding into the man page system it makes sense to
have this restriction.
Hmm, I wonder whether it makes sense to provide an environment
variable to handle that, say, GROFF_UNSAFE. If not run as root, this
variable would be equivalent to -U.
Alternatively, the -U mechanism could be made more fine grained, this
is, to differentiate between `open' and `opena', and the other
disabled commands.
Comments?
Werner
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