How do I set correct permissions permanently for my 2nd internal HDD?

[rob_1980]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

I was at work today, did try a couple of things this morning, but didn't succeed, I was keen to get home and continue to get this to work with the help provided by you all, although very slightly frustrating, I know once i have resolved this, I will have learned something more about linux.

The gui method below works to a certain point, in that it will allow me to have the permissions I need to all folders and sub folders.
My concern is that I would have to do that each time I created a new folder, correct me if I'm wrong?

In regards to login in as root, I did that once yesterday as a point of testing for this issue, ordinarily, in fact, I have never logged in as root before, I have never needed to, simply entered my password when required, mu understanding through help of some of you here, and on ubuntu forums when I was trying that out, is simply put, linux is more secure than other operating systems due to the fact that the user does not automatically have permissions to write to files that could damage the system, meaning a virus would also not have those permissions (unless logged in as root, or leaving a terminal window open logged in as super user)

So, back to my findings from this morning..

I tried this

> su -
> find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chown username:users '{}' \;
> find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chmod u+r+w,o-r-w,g-r-w '{}' \; 
> find /mnt/Media/ -type d -exec chmod u+r+w+x,g-w-r-x,o-w-r-x '{}' \;

and this

cd /mntchown rob:users Mediachmod 0755 Media

Both of the above failed.

I'm still slightly confused on my issue, I mean, is it permission issues I have, ownership, or both? (Im trying to figure these both out, and will start to do some more reading now)

I'm sure this permissions thing is pretty straight forward and simple, I hope I'll be kicking myself when I realise just how easy it is.

Thanks for everyones input!!!


Rob

On 12/10/2012 12:58 AM, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> It can be done with commands. I can not say how to do it with a GUI
> because I don't know how

though i have never done it the GUI way, i would think it possible to:

-using the menu system launch Applications > System > File Manager >
File Manager - Superuser Mode (give root password when asked) then

-navigate to the drive in question (whether that is /media/Media or
/mnt/Media or /data/Media makes no difference to _this_ method)

-right click on the icon of that drive, and select "Properties" then the
"Permissions" tab

-adjust "Access Permissions" to allow owner/group/others to any of the
three choices available (view = NO writes; modify = writes allowed;
forbidden = can't write or view)

-adjust "Ownership" to 'rob' and 'users'

-click "Ok"

-CLOSE the superuser powered file manager (that is, don't forget it is a
superuser appliance and KILL your system by accident)

now, lets look at what you wrote in one of your post: "This drive will
not allow me to copy, write files, even play music unless i browse in
Dolphin with super user, or log in as root."

by that last part (log in as root) i _assume_ you say at the login
screen for KDE, GNOME, LDXE or other desktop environment (DE) and typed
in "root", gave the root password and logged into the DE as root..

unfortunately, that is a very common mistake done by folks new to
*nix-like operating systems, because in their previous OS it was normal
to log in as the Administrator..

but, not so here:

you should never log into KDE/GNOME/LXDE/Xfce or any other *nix-like
system's graphical user interface desktop environment as root..

doing so 1) opens you up to several different security problems if you
(for example) browse the net, 2) too many, far too easy ways to damage
your system no matter how careful your actions (for
example: cases of unintended change of ownership of some files from user
to root sometimes occurs which can preclude logging in as the user), 3)
anyway logging into KDE/etc as root is *never* required to do any or all
administrative duties, 4) and, not even logging in as root just to see
if it works as root is useful, because the "yes" or "no" learned is
almost always totally useless in finding the
problem giving the symptoms...while, logging into the GUI as root to
learn the yes/no could _cause_ the next adverse symptom encountered.

so, always log in as yourself, and "become root" by using a root powered
application (like YaST, File Manager Superuser Mode) or using "su -",
sudo, kdesu, or gnomesu in a terminal to launch whatever tool is needed
(like KWrite or gedit to edit a config file)...read more on all that here:

SDB:Login as root - openSUSE
Become su in Terminal - HowTo
Problem with permission
su or su - ???
What is root? -- definition by The Linux Information Project (LINFO)
"Sign in as ROOT and..."

additionally: after logging into KDE/Gnome/etc as root, if you
experience problems (for example, with uncommanded file ownership and
permissions changes) and if you can provide us with details of what you
were doing while you were logged in as root, that would help us identify
if there's a bug that needs to be fixed...thanks for your help..

--
dd DD Caveat

[malcolmlewis]

Hi
You replace username with your username...rob?

The chown and chmod commands are two separate commands, you output in the above posts shows all one line?

When changing to super user you used the su - and not just su?

[rob_1980]

sorry, for some reason, the paste hasnt displayed properly.

I think i put su , not su -

I guess that makes a difference, I will try again, thanks

Does it matter if the drive is mounted or not when I try to change permissions?

I did change usernsame to rob, but left "users", perhaps this is incorrect..

Ive tried again, users must be right, as it is setting tyhe group, i got an error message when trying to change it.. I will learn this !!

rob@linux-mzrw:~> su -
Password: 
linux-mzrw:~ # cd /mmt
linux-mzrw:/mmt # chown rob:users Media
linux-mzrw:/mmt # chmod 0755 Media
linux-mzrw:/mmt # exit
logout
rob@linux-mzrw:~>

I will try a reboot, as it hasn't changed anything yet

[malcolmlewis]

Hi
Yes the drive needs to be mounted

rob:users is correct

[rob_1980]

That hasn't worked.

I am learning something though.

My understanding is that the owner is the one who created the folder / file.

I cannot think of a reason why, but it seems that the disk when formatted to ext4 using partitioner, and then the folders created were done as root (I was logged in as rob at the time)

I have just found that in fact, If I do create a new folder in /mmt (which it is allowing me to do) I have the permissions I require, and when checking the permissions tab on that folder, ownership is set to

user:rob
group >users

in the other folders it is

user : root
goup :root


Upon further inspection now, mp3 files that would not play last night (they would open, but not start the track) now work fine, but I still cannot "cut" files or folders. (unless I have created a new folder)

So for now, I will log in super user on Dophin, set folder permissions to work, then as it seems any new folder created as rob will work, that should solve my issue.

I'm doubtful this is the absolute correct solution, but think it will achieve my goal.

[rob_1980]

Ok, that has worked and given me the permissions I had previous when it was ntfs. (or at least allows me to have the control of files I am used to)

I can now, logged in as rob, write files, create folders, cut, delete and use files in mmt/Media, all sub directories, and newly created files etc.

Many thanks to everyone for the help I have been given.

This is very much appreciated..

Rob


aaaggh, I cannot edit the title of my thread to include [solved]?

[robin_listas]

On 2012-12-10 17:26, rob 1980 wrote:

> The gui method below works to a certain point, in that it will allow me
> to have the permissions I need to all folders and sub folders.
> My concern is that I would have to do that each time I created a new
> folder, correct me if I'm wrong?

No if you create the files as that user (rob).

>
> I tried this
>
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> > su -
> > find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chown username:users '{}' \;
> > find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chmod u+r+w,o-r-w,g-r-w '{}' \;
> > find /mnt/Media/ -type d -exec chmod u+r+w+x,g-w-r-x,o-w-r-x '{}' \;
> --------------------
>
>
> and this
>
>
> cd /mntchown rob:users Mediachmod 0755 Media
>
>
> Both of the above failed.

You have to post here the entire command sequence you did with prompt
and errors for us to see. But Malcolm is in the right track.


>
> I'm still slightly confused on my issue, I mean, is it permission
> issues I have, ownership, or both?

My guess is both, that's the reason of the three lines.

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 "Asparagus" at Telcontar)

[rob_1980]

Hi, thanks for the reply..

this is a paste from console, I just tried it again, there was no error code, or message, it just failed to make any changes ( I fear now, that perhaps the first time i used su, and not su - ...

rob@linux-mzrw:~> su -
Password: 
linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chown rob:users '{}' \;
linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chmod u+r+w,o-r-w,g-r-w '{}' \;
linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type d -exec chmod u+r+w+x,g-w-r-x,o-w-r-x '{}' \;
linux-mzrw:~ # exit
logout
rob@linux-mzrw:~>

However, I have resolved the issue now, everything seems to be as it should, and you are correct, creating any new folder as rob, sets rob as the owner.

Thank you again

I just need to find out now how to edit the title of my thread to [solved] to save others from reading further if they dont have to.

cheers everyone!!

[dd]

On 12/10/2012 06:36 PM, rob 1980 wrote:
> I cannot edit the title of my thread to include [solved]?

but you can tag it as solved--and if you do so and someone searches
using the forum search engine along with the solved tag, yipee

and if anyone searches with google using "solved" it just might turn up.

OH, look at that, my title includes [SOLVED], must be magic!!

--
dd

[robin_listas]

On 2012-12-10 18:46, rob 1980 wrote:
>
> Hi, thanks for the reply..
>
> this is a paste from console, I just tried it again, there was no error
> code, or message, it just failed to make any changes ( I fear now, that
> perhaps the first time i used su, and not su - ...
>
>
> Code:
> --------------------
> rob@linux-mzrw:~> su -
> Password:
> linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chown rob:users '{}' \;
> linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type f -exec chmod u+r+w,o-r-w,g-r-w '{}' \;
> linux-mzrw:~ # find /mnt/Media/ -type d -exec chmod u+r+w+x,g-w-r-x,o-w-r-x '{}' \;
> linux-mzrw:~ # exit
> logout
> rob@linux-mzrw:~>
>
>
>
> --------------------

In Linux terminal, no message means success. There is no need to talk if
there is no error. If there is an error, print it.

So the above commands worked fine. :-)

--
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 "Asparagus" at Telcontar)