On (06 May 97) Sylvain Lauzon wrote to James Vahn...
 SL> hi james!
 > begin 644 masm2gas.zip
 > M4$L#!!0````(`-F`NB#)Q5YH`0<``$82```,````;6%S;3)G87,N  Would you tell me what the number "644" is used for? I seen there is
 SL>  different number from a software author to another.
 SL>  Or anyone that could answer me.
This is a three digit octal number, so each digit represents 3 bits.
The bits stand for read, write and execute permission, and the three
digits are for the owner of the file, the group to which the owner
belongs, and everybody else respectively.  This all originated on UNIX,
where that's how the security system is set up.
On DOS, most of this has very little meaning, and most uu/xx encoders
simply use some default numbers for the majority of the permission bits.
About the only thing that's based on reality is that most do check
whether the file is read-only, and clear the write bit if it is.
However, DOS doesn't have an analog to an execute only file, or a write
only file, so there's not much you can do with these...
    Later,
    Jerry.
... The Universe is a figment of its own imagination.
--- PPoint 1.90
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