can't change ownership on files

[Waldher, Travis R]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rick Stevens [mailto:rstevens at vitalstream.com]
> Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:40 PM
> To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
> Subject: Re: can't change ownership on files
> 
> Waldher, Travis R wrote:
> >
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: Rick Stevens [mailto:rstevens at vitalstream.com]
> >>Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 1:24 PM
> >>To: Getting started with Red Hat Linux
> >>Subject: Re: can't change ownership on files
> >>
> >>Waldher, Travis R wrote:
> >>
> >>>[user at host /tmp]$ chown user2 test
> >>>chown: changing ownership of `test': Operation not permitted
> >>>[user at host /tmp]$
> >>>
> >>>That about sums it up.  I need non-root users to be able to change
> >>>ownership on files.
> >>
> >>You defeat the purpose of permissions if you allow anyone to change
> >>ownership of a file.  That's normally reserved for root or the
> >
> > original
> >
> >>owner of the file, and it's inherent in the "w" part of the
> >
> > permissions.
> >
> > Ok, I wasn't clear.
> >
> > I as the owner owner can't change the ownership of my own files:
> >
> > [user at host /]$ whoami
> > user
> > [user at host /]$ cd /tmp
> > [user at host /tmp]$ touch test
> > [user at host /tmp]$ ls -al test
> > -rw-rw-r--    1 user  unixadm         0 Apr 22 15:20 test
> > [user at host /tmp]$ chown user2 test
> > chown: changing ownership of `test': Operation not permitted
> > [user at host /tmp]$ ls -al test
> > -rw-rw-r--    1 user  unixadm         0 Apr 22 15:20 test
> > [user at host /tmp]$
> >
> > I should be able to change the ownership of my own files without
being
> > root.  Correct?
> 
> Actually, in Linux, no.  Changing owners and groups is restricted to
> root only.  IRIX and Solaris have work arounds, but not in Linux.  My
> mistake.
> 
> You could permit it in sudo.

Ew... 

Beyond that there is not hack/tweak I can make?

Sudo would basically open up chown/chgrp for any file on local disk, and
any filesystem that is mounted with root level access.  Correct?