[dev] Anyone use the guest services link?

[Rick Emery]

Quoting Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck at horde.org>:

> Does anyone use the guest services link that's in HEAD? Now that we have
> $conf['menu']['always'], it seems a bit redundant, and it's an 
> awkward UI, and
> a pain to generate to boot.
>
> Would anyone object if I removed it?
>
> -chuck

Sorry to sound like a big dummy here, but I've developed some questions. Is
there any documentation on the permissions system and how to use it?

Background --

I use the guest services link, to allow anyone (guests) access to jonah, klutz,
a public calendar that I'm publishing, and (eventually) ansel. Having read the
above message, I set $conf['menu']['always'] = true (I never used it before
because I didn't like having the menu on the login page, and never needed it
because of the "Guest Services" link).

To this point, the only permissions I had ever set up were for the shares (in
kronolith, mnemo, and nag). After activating the menu, I expected to see no
applications (since I hadn't set any guest permissions on any applications).
On the contrary, all of my "active" apps were listed in the menu. Not a big
deal, since most of the application links just returned to the login page, but
I thought it might make it difficult for guests to determine which
applications they could access and which they couldn't. Also, for some reason
I haven't figured out yet, troll allowed full access for guests.

So, I decided that I must have to set permissions explicitly for each
application. I did, creating permissions for each application and allowing
"Show" and "Read" for those I wanted guests to use, and leaving the others
empty (for guest permissions).

Now, when I go to the login screen, instead of the menu I get a message that
imp isn't configured in the registry.

Obviously, I'm not getting it. So here are a couple of questions that hopefully
will start me down the right path.

1. Can permissions (or some other method) be used to prevent applications from
being displayed on the initial (login screen) menu? If so, do I have to
explicitly create permissions for each application?

2. What is the difference between "Show" and "Read"?

3. Can anyone share some information that will make the permissions system
clear to me?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long message.
Rick

--
Rick Emery

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
 with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
 you will always long to return"
                                              -- Leonardo Da Vinci