Linux Gurus,
I need to provide Read only access for particular group of users, they should have Read only access to entire server except their Home directory.
I tried using setfacl that's not helping. Can you please suggest is there any other alternate way to address this request.
Your help is highly appreciated, Thank you.
I would not allow users to have read only access to every file on the server. This would imply sweeping changes. Why not identify the collection of files they need access too and consider using the other/world field. Why didn't acl's work?
A note: there are other directories that require world write access - as an example, whatever directories the TMPDIR environment variable points to. You will break things by turning that access off for 'developers' without accomodating those kinds of requirements.
In other words - do not shoot yourself in the foot with this.
Ok: why is setfacl 'not helping'? Please explain exactly what the probelm is.
I would consider having sudo rule written to allow them to run a script that you control. That script could then look at whatever files you think are appropriate for them, but stop them having direct access or blanket access.
You don't want them reading just everything, such as the encrypted passwords, private ssh keys (might make ssh fail anyway), process maps, raw devices etc.
Robin
Thank you @blackrageous and @Jim for responding back.
@Jim, I came up with a solution for this.
They have their rwx to their home directory, I found /tmp is the only directory has universal rwx access, which I can setfacl for /tmp to Developers group. any ways they don't have write access to other files and directories other than /tmp for now.
Setfacl didn't help earlier because I thought I can run this command
setfacl -md g:gnoc:r /
this command clocking the user to login, Can we exclude his home directory at least?
Now I applied
$ setfacl -md g:gnoc:r /tmp
$ getfacl /tmp"
user::rwx
group::rwx
other::rwx
default:user::rwx
default:group::rwx
default:group:gnoc:r--
default:mask::rwx
default:other::rwx
$
Please suggest if this looks ok, if not I need to find out other alternate way here, Thanks 
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