docs: protected mode is now enabled by-default

public/static/docs/command-reference/config.md

@@ -114,18 +114,9 @@ for more details.) This section contains the following options:
   > option, properly transforming paths relative to the current working
   > directory into paths relative to the config file location.
 
-- `cache.protected` - make DVC-tracked files read-only. Possible values are
-  `true` or `false` (default). Run `dvc checkout` after changing the value of
-  this option for the change to go into effect.
-
-  Due to the way DVC handles linking between the data files in the cache and
-  their counterparts in the <abbr>workspace</abbr>, it's easy to accidentally
-  corrupt the cached file by editing or overwriting it. Turning this config
-  option on forces you to run `dvc unprotect` before updating a file, providing
-  an additional layer of security to your data.
-
-  We highly recommend enabling `cache.protected` when `cache.type` is set to
-  `hardlink` or `symlink`.
+- `cache.protected` (_deprecated_) - when using `hardlink` or `symlink` as
+  `cache.type`, the file links will automatically be protected (read-only). Use
+  `dvc unprotect` if you need to update them.
 
 - `cache.type` - link type that DVC should use to link data files from cache to
   the workspace. Possible values: `reflink`, `symlink`, `hardlink`, `copy` or a
@@ -136,9 +127,9 @@ for more details.) This section contains the following options:
   to protect user from accidental cache and repository corruption.
 
   ⚠️ If you manually set `cache.type` to `hardlink` or `symlink`, **you will
-  corrupt the cache** if you modify tracked data files in the workspace. See the
-  `cache.protected` option above, and corresponding `dvc unprotect` command to
-  modify files safely.
+  corrupt the cache** if you modify tracked data files in the workspace. In an
+  attempt to prevent that, DVC will automatically protect those file links (make
+  them read-only). Use `dvc unprotect` to be able to modify them safely.
 
   There are pros and cons to different link types. Refer to
   [File link types](/doc/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization#file-link-types-for-the-dvc-cache)
@@ -276,9 +267,3 @@ Set cache type: if `reflink` is not available, use `copy`:
 ```dvc
 $ dvc config cache.type reflink,copy
 ```
-
-Protect DVC-tracked data files by making them read-only:
-
-```dvc
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
-```

public/static/docs/command-reference/unprotect.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # unprotect
 
-Unprotect tracked files or directories (when the <abbr>cache</abbr> protected
-mode has been enabled with `dvc config cache`).
+Unprotect tracked files or directories (when hardlinks or symlinks have been
+enabled with `dvc config cache.type`).
 
 ## Synopsis
 
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ to link tracked data files from the cache to the <abbr>workspace</abbr>.
 However, these types of file links can be enabled with `dvc config cache`
 (`cache.type` config option).
 
-Enabling hardlinks or symlinks also requires the `cache.protected` mode to be
-turned on, which makes the tracked data files in the workspace read-only. (This
-prevent users from accidentally corrupting the cache by modifying file links.)
+Enabling hardlinks or symlinks makes the tracked data files in the workspace
+read-only. (This prevents users from accidentally corrupting the cache by
+modifying file links.)
 
 Running `dvc unprotect` guarantees that the target files or directories
 (`targets`) in the workspace are physically "unlinked" from the cache and can be
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ safely updated. Read the
 more on this process.
 
 `dvc unprotect` can be an expensive operation (involves copying data). Check
-first whether your task matches one of the cases that are considered safe, even
-when cache protected mode is enabled:
+first whether your task matches one of the cases that are considered safe:
 
 - Adding more files to a directory input dataset (say, images or videos)
 - Deleting files from a directory dataset
@@ -47,10 +46,10 @@ when cache protected mode is enabled:
 
 ## Examples
 
-Enable cache protected mode is enabled:
+Enable symlinks:
 
 ```dvc
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
+$ dvc config cache.type symlink
 ```
 
 Track a data file with DVC:

public/static/docs/user-guide/large-dataset-optimization.md

@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@ Symbolic links, and Reflinks in more recent systems. While reflinks bring all
 the benefits and none of the worries, they're not commonly supported in most
 platforms yet. Hard/soft links optimize **speed** and **space** in the file
 system, but may break your workflow since updating hard/sym-linked files tracked
-by DVC in the <abbr>workspace</abbr> causes <abbr>cache</abbr> corruption. These
-2 link types thus require using cache **protected mode** (see the
-`cache.protected` config option in `dvc config cache`). Finally, a 4th "linking"
-alternative is to actually copy files from/to the cache, which is safe but
-inefficient – especially for large files (several GBs or more).
+by DVC in the <abbr>workspace</abbr> causes <abbr>cache</abbr> corruption. To
+protect against that, DVC makes hardlinks and symlinks links read-only, which requires the user to
+use `dvc unprotect` before modifying them.
+
+Finally, a 4th "linking" alternative
+is to actually copy files from/to the cache, which is safe but inefficient –
+especially for large files (several GBs or more).
 
 > Some versions of Windows (e.g. Windows Server 2012+ and Windows 10 Enterprise)
 > support hard or soft links on the
@@ -53,12 +55,12 @@ inefficient – especially for large files (several GBs or more).
 
 File link type benefits summary:
 
-| `cache.type` | speed | space | no protected mode |
-| ------------ | ----- | ----- | ----------------- |
-| `reflink`    | x     | x     | x                 |
-| `hardlink`   | x     | x     |                   |
-| `symlink`    | x     | x     |                   |
-| `copy`       |       |       | x                 |
+| `cache.type` | speed | space | editable |
+| ------------ | ----- | ----- | ------------------ |
+| `reflink`    | x     | x     | x                  |
+| `hardlink`   | x     | x     |                    |
+| `symlink`    | x     | x     |                    |
+| `copy`       |       |       | x                  |
 
 Each file linking method is further detailed below, in function of their
 efficiency:
@@ -110,13 +112,12 @@ configure DVC like this:
 
 ```dvc
 $ dvc config cache.type hardlink,symlink
-$ dvc config cache.protected true
 ```
 
 > Refer to `dvc config cache` for more details.
 
-Setting `cache.protected` is important with `hardlink` and/or `symlink` cache
-file link types. Please refer to the
+Note that with this `cache.type`, your workspace files will be in read-only mode
+in order to protect the cache from corruption. Please refer to the
 [Update a Tracked File](/doc/user-guide/updating-tracked-files) on how to manage
 tracked files under these cache configurations.