P4 Command Reference (2018.2)

p4 protect

Control user access to files, directories, and commands.

Note

These access rights are different from the graph depot permissions described at p4 grant-permission (graph).

Syntax

p4 [g-opts] protect
p4 [g-opts] protect -o
p4 [g-opts] protect --convert-p4admin-comments -o | -i

Description

For a new Helix Server installation, anyone who wants to use Helix Server is allowed to connect to the service, and all Helix Server users are superusers. The first time anyone runs p4 protect, the invoking user is made the superuser, and everyone else is given write privilege on all files. Run p4 protect immediately after installation.

Use p4 protect to control Helix Server privileges. You can use p4 protect to do the following:

Control which commands and/or files particular users can access
Grant access to groups of users, as defined with p4 group
Grant access to the p4 protect command for a particular path to a user or group
Grant or deny specific access rights to users by using the =read, =open, =write, and =branch rights, without having to re-grant lesser privileges
Limit access to particular IP addresses, so that only users at the those IP addresses can run Helix Server

The command provides three syntax variants:

The first allows you to edit the protections table in a text form
The second writes the protection table to standard output
The third reads the protection table from standard input. You can also use this variant to convert comments in the p4admin-generated protection table. For more information, see Comments.

In the course of normal operation, you’ll primarily grant users list, read, write, owner, and super access levels. The open and review access levels are used less often.

In general,

You grant an access level to a user or group.
If finer-grained control is required, you can selectively deny one or more specific rights.

For detailed information, see the "Securing the server" chapter of the Helix Core Server Administrator Guide: Fundamentals.

Permission levels and access rights

Permission Level / Right	What the User Can Do
`list`	The user can access all Helix Server metadata, but has no access to file contents. The user can run all the commands that describe Helix Server objects, such as `p4 files`, `p4 client`, `p4 job`, `p4 describe`, `p4 branch`, etc. Those commands that list files, such as `p4 describe`, will only list those files to which the user has at least `list` access.
`read`	The user can do everything permitted with `list` access, and also run any command that involves reading file data, including `p4 print`, `p4 diff`, `p4 sync`, and so on.
`=read`	If this right is denied, users cannot use `p4 print`, `p4 diff`, or `p4 sync` on files.
`open`	This gives the user permission to do everything she can do with `read` access, and gives her permission to `p4 add`, `p4 edit`, `p4 delete`, and `p4 integrate` files. However, the user is not allowed to lock files or submit files to the depot. The `open` access level gives the user permission to change files but not submit them to the depot. Assign this level when you’re temporarily freezing a codeline, but don’t want to stop your developers from working, or when you employ testers who are allowed to change code for their own use but are not allowed to make permanent changes to the codeline.
`=open`	If this right is denied, users cannot open files with `p4 add`, `p4 edit`, `p4 delete`, or `p4 integrate`.
`write`	The user can do all of the above, and can also write files with `p4 submit` and lock them with `p4 lock`.
`=write`	If this right is denied, users cannot submit open files.
`=branch`	If this right is denied, users cannot use files as a source for `p4 integrate`.
`review`	This permission is meant for external programs that access Helix Server. It gives the external programs permission to do anything that `list` and `read` can do, and grants permission to run `p4 review` and `p4 counter`. It does not include `open` or `write` access.
`admin`	Includes all of the above, including administrative commands that override changes to metadata, but do not affect service operation. These include `p4 branch` -f, `p4 change` -f, `p4 client` -f, `p4 job` -f, `p4 jobspec`, `p4 label` -f, `p4 obliterate`, `p4 shelve` -f -d, `p4 typemap`, `p4 unlock` -f, and `p4 verify`.
`super`	Includes all of the above, plus access to the superuser commands such as `p4 admin`, `p4 counter`, `p4 triggers`, `p4 protect`, the ability to create users with `p4 user` -f, and so on.
`owner`	Use this permission to assign permission to a specific user or group to run `p4 protect` for a particular path. For details, see the section Authorizing access in Helix Core Server Administrator Guide: Fundamentals.

Form Fields

When you run p4 protect, Helix Server displays a form with a single field, Protections:. Each permission is specified in its own indented line under the Protections: header, and uses the following five values to define protections:

Column	Description
Access Level or Mode	One of the access levels `list`, `read`, `open`, `write`, `admin`, `super`, `owner`, `review`; or one of the rights `=read`, `=open`, `=write`, and `=branch`, as defined above.
User or Group	Specifies whether this protection applies to a `user` or a `group`.
Group Name or User Name	The name of the user or the name of the group, as defined by `p4 group`. To grant this permission to all users, use the `*` wildcard.
Host	The IP address of the client host. IPv6 addresses and IPv4 addresses are also supported. You can use the `` wildcard to refer to all IP addresses, but only when you are not using CIDR notation. If you use the `` wildcard with an IPv6 address, you must enclose the entire IPv6 address in square brackets. For example, `[2001:db8:1:2:]` is equivalent to `[2001:db8:1:2::]/64`. Best practice is to use CIDR notation, surround IPv6 addresses with brackets, and to avoid the `` wildcard. How the system forms host addresses depends on the setting of the `dm.proxy.protects` variable. By default, this variable is set to 1. This means that if the client host uses some intermediary (proxy, broker, replica) to access the server, the `proxy-` prefix is prepended to the client host address to indicate that the connection is not direct. If you specify `proxy-*` for the `Host` field, that will affect all connections made via proxies, brokers, and replicas. A value like `proxy-10.0.0.5` identifies a client machine with an IP address of `10.0.0.5` that is connected to the server through an intermediary. Setting the `dm.proxy.protects` variable to 0, removes the `proxy-` prefix and allows you to write a single set of protection entries that apply both to directly-connected clients as well as to those that connect via an intermediary. This is more convenient but less secure if it matters that a connection is made using an intermediary. If you use this setting, all intermediaries must be at release 2012.1 or higher.
Depot File Path	The depot file path on which this permission is granted, in Helix Server depot syntax. The file specification can contain Helix Server wildcards. To exclude this mapping from the permission set, use a dash (`-`) as the first character of this value. If a depot is excluded, the user denied access will no longer see the depot in the output of `p4 depots`. Nor will the depot show up, for this user, in the default branch, client, and label views.
SubPath	The root path of the sub-protections table: only used when editing a sub-protections table to learn about the "sub-protections table", see "Delegate management of parts of the protections table" in Helix Core Server Administrator Guide: Fundamentals This field is not part of the protections table.
Update	The date this specification was last modified (read-only). If this date is modified, the protections table will not be saved Omitting this field will avoid the modification check. This field is not part of the protections table.

Exclusionary mappings

When exclusionary mappings are not used When exclusionary mappings are used

When exclusionary mappings are not used	When exclusionary mappings are used
The order of the mappings is irrelevant. A user is granted the highest permission level listed in the union of all the mappings that match the user, the user’s IP address, and the files the user is trying to access.	Order is relevant. The exclusionary mapping overrides any matching protections listed above it in the table. No matter what access level is being denied in the exclusionary protection, all the access levels for the matching users, files, and IP addresses are denied. For example: If you use exclusionary mappings to deny access to an area of the depot to members of `group1`, but grant access to the same area of the depot to members of `group2`, a user who is a member of both `group1` and `group2` is either granted or denied access based on whichever line appears last in the protections table.

The order of the mappings is irrelevant.

A user is granted the highest permission level listed in the union of all the mappings that match the user, the user’s IP address, and the files the user is trying to access.

Order is relevant.

The exclusionary mapping overrides any matching protections listed above it in the table. No matter what access level is being denied in the exclusionary protection, all the access levels for the matching users, files, and IP addresses are denied.

For example:

If you use exclusionary mappings to deny access to an area of the depot to members of group1, but grant access to the same area of the depot to members of group2, a user who is a member of both group1 and group2 is either granted or denied access based on whichever line appears last in the protections table.

Comments

Protection tables can be difficult to interpret and debug. Including comments can make this work much easier.

You can append comments at the end of a line using the ## symbols:
```
write user *   10.1.1.1   //depot/test/...  ## robinson crusoe
```
Or you can write a comment line by prefixing the line with the ## symbols:
```
## robinson crusoe
write user *   10.1.1.1   //depot/test/...
```

Warning

Comments you have created using the P4Admin tool are not compatible with comments created using the 2016.1 version of p4 protect. You can use the following command to convert a file containing comments created with P4Admin into a file containing p4 protect type comments:

$ p4 protect --convert-p4admin-comments -o

Then save the resulting file.

Once you have converted the comments, you must continue to define and manage protections using p4 protect and can no longer use P4Admin to do so because this tool is unable to parse p4 protect comments.

Options

`-i`	Read the form from standard input without invoking an editor.
`-o`	Write the form to standard output without invoking an editor.
`--convert-p4admin-comments`	Converts an existing protections form (and comments) created using P4Admin tool, to a form that can be used by `p4 protect`.
`g-opts`	See Global options.

Usage Notes

Can File Arguments Use Revision Specifier?	Can File Arguments Use Revision Range?	Minimal Access Level Required
No	No	`super`

Each permission level includes all the access levels below it:

The specific rights of =read, =open, =write, and =branch can be used to override the automatic inclusion of lower access levels. This makes it possible to deny individual rights without having to then re-grant lesser rights.

For example, if you want administrators to have the ability to run administrative commands, but to deny them the ability to make changes in certain parts of the depot, you could set up a permissions table as follows:

admin       user      joe       *       //...
=write      user      joe       *       -//depot/build/...
=open       user      joe       *       -//depot/build/...

In this example, user joe can perform administrative functions, and this permission applies to all depots in the system. Because the admin permission level also implies the granting of all lower access levels, joe can also write, open, read and list files anywhere in the system, including //depot/build/. To protect the build area, the =write and =open exclusionary lines are added to the table. User joe is prevented from opening any files for edit in the build area. He is also prevented from submitting any changes in this area he may already have open. He can continue to create and modify files, but only if those files are outside of the protected //depot/build/... area.

To limit or eliminate the use of the files on a particular server as a remote depot from another server (as defined by p4 depot), create protections for user remote (or for the service user by which the other server authenticates itself). Remote depots are accessed either by the service user associated with the user’s Perforce service, or by a virtual user named remote.

Access levels determine which commands you can use.

The following table lists the minimum access level required for each command. For example, because p4 add requires at least open access, you can run p4 add if you have open, write, admin, or super access.

Some commands (for instance, p4 change, when editing a previously submitted changelist) take a -f option that requires admin or super access.

Command	Access Level	Notes
`add`	`open`
`admin`	`super`
`annotate`	`read`
`archive`	`admin`
`attribute`	`write`	The `-f` option to set the attributes of submitted files requires `admin` access.
`branch`	`open`	The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`branches`	`list`
`change`	`open`	The `-o` option (display a change on standard output) requires only `list` access. The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`changes`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`client`	`list`	The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`clients`	`list`
`configure`	`super`
`copy`	`list`	list access to the source files; `open` access to the destination files.
`counter`	`review`	list access to at least one file in any depot is required to view an existing counter’s value; `review` access is required to change a counter’s value or create a new counter.
`counters`	`list`
`cstat`	`list`
`dbschema`	`super`
`dbstat`	`super`
`dbverify`	`super`
`delete`	`open`
`depot`	`super`	The `-o` option to this command, which allows the form to be read but not edited, requires only `list` access.
`depots`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`describe`	`read`	The `-s` option to this command, which does not display file content, requires only `list` access.
`diff`	`read`
`diff2`	`read`
`dirs`	`list`
`diskspace`	`super`
`edit`	`open`
`export`	`super`
`filelog`	`list`
`files`	`list`
`fix`	`open`
`fixes`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`flush`	`list`
`fstat`	`list`
`grep`	`read`
`group`	`super`	The `-o` option to this command, which allows the form to be read but not edited, requires only `list` access. The `-a` option to this command requires only `list` access, provided that the user is also listed as a group owner. The `-A` option requires `admin` access.
`groups`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`have`	`list`
`help`	`none`
`info`	`none`
`integrate`	`open`	The user must have `open` access on the target files and `read` access on the source files.
`integrated`	`list`
`interchanges`	`list`
`istat`	`list`
`job`	`open`	The `-o` option to this command, which allows the form to be read but not edited, requires only `list` access. The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`jobs`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`journaldbchecksums`	`super`
`key`	`review`	list access to at least one file in any depot is required to view an existing key’s value; `review` access is required to change a key’s value or create a new key.
`key`	`list`	admin access is required if the `dm.keys.hide` configurable is set to `2`.
`keys`	`list`	admin access is required if the `dm.keys.hide` configurable is set to `1` or `2`.
`label`	`open`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot. The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`labels`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`labelsync`	`open`
`license`	`super`	The `-u` option, which displays license usage, requires only `admin` access.
`list`	`open`
`lock`	`write`
`lockstat`	`super`
`logappend`	`list`
`logger`	`review`
`login`	`list`
`logout`	`list`
`logparse`	`super`
`logrotate`	`super`
`logschema`	`super`
`logstat`	`super`
`logtail`	`super`
`merge`	`open`
`monitor`	`list`	super access is required to terminate or clear processes, or to view arguments.
`move`	`open`
`obliterate`	`admin`
`opened`	`list`
`passwd`	`list`
`ping`	`admin`
`populate`	`open`
`print`	`read`
`protect`	`super`
`protects`	`list`	super access is required to use the `-a`, `-g`, and `-u` options.
`property`	`list`	list to read, `admin` to add/delete new properties, or show a property setting for all users and groups.
`proxy`	`none`	Must be connected to a Helix Proxy
`pull`	`super`
`reconcile`	`open`
`reload`	`open`	admin access is required to use `p4 reload-f` to reload other users' workspaces and labels.
`reopen`	`open`
`replicate`	`super`
`resolve`	`open`
`resolved`	`open`
`restore`	`admin`
`revert`	`list`
`review`	`review`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`reviews`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.
`server`	`super`
`serverid`	`list`	super access is required to set the server ID. Important To avoid configuration problems, the value of `serverID` should always match the value of P4NAME if both are set. We recommend setting `serverID`, but support `P4NAME` for backward compatibility.
`set`	`none`
`shelve`	`open`	admin access is required to forcibly delete shelved files with `p4 shelve` -f -d.
`sizes`	`list`
`status`	`open`
`stream`	`open`
`streams`	`list`
`submit`	`write`
`sync`	`read`	Note If you are at a replica, and syncing from the replica's depot to your replica workspace, the sync command will fail if the master is not available. This is because the replica needs to be able to update the db.have table on the master.
`sync -p`	`read`	With sync -p, a read command that does not update the db.have table
`tag`	`list`
`tickets`	`none`
`triggers`	`super`
`typemap`	`admin`	The `-o` option to this command, which allows the form to be read but not edited, requires only `list` access.
`unload`	`open`	admin access is required to use `p4 unload -f` to unload other users' workspaces and labels.
`unlock`	`open`	The `-f` option to override existing metadata or other users' data requires `admin` access.
`unshelve`	`open`
`update`	`list`
`user`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot. The `-f` option (which is used to create or edit users) requires `super` access.
`users`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot. If the `run.users.authorize` configurable is set to `1`, you must also authenticate yourself to the server before you can run `p4 users`.
`verify`	`admin`
`where`	`list`	This command does not operate on specific files. Permission is granted to run the command if the user has the specified access to at least one file in any depot.

Examples

Suppose that user joe is a member of groups devgroup and buggroup, as set by p4 group, the organization is using only IPv4 connections, and the protections table reads as follows:

super   user    bill      *                 //...
write   group   devgroup  *                 //depot/...
write   group   buggroup  *                 -//depot/proj/...
write   user    joe       192.168.100.0/24  //...

Joe attempts a number of operations. His success or failure at each is described below:

From IP address…	Joe tries…	Results
`10.14.10.1`	`p4 print //depot/misc/...`	Succeeds. The second line grants Joe `write` access on these files; `write` access includes `read` access, and this protection is not excluded by any subsequent lines.
`10.14.10.1`	`p4 print //depot/proj/README`	Fails. The third line removes all of Joe’s permissions on any files in this directory. (If the second protection and the third protection had been switched, then the subsequent protection would have overridden this one, and Joe would have succeeded).
`192.168.100.123`	`p4 print //depot/proj/README`	Succeeds. Joe’s workstation is at an IP address from which he is granted this permission in the fourth line.
`192.168.100.123`	`p4 verify //depot/misc/...`	Fails. `p4 verify` requires `super` access; Joe does not have this access level no matter what IP address he’s coming from.

Related Commands

To create or edit groups of users	`p4 group`
To list all user groups	`p4 groups`
To grant permission for depots and repos of type graph	p4 grant-permission (graph)

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