Locking all files in a folder.

Emmadw wrote:
I've my photos currently in a dated folders - I'd like to be able to lock them all at the same time.

I've experimented with locking the top level folder, but, unlike Windows, which asked me if I wanted to lock sub-folders/anything in them, this just seemed to do the top level. Individual files didn't seem to be locked.

I've done a bit of a search & LockMeBaby ( http://soramimi-works.net/software.shtml ) seems to do what I want it to. Is it what i need, or is it possible from within Snow Leopard to (easily!) lock files in multiple folders all at the same time.

there is no built in tool for this but you can easily make one. this is esy to do from terminal. the following terminal command will lock everything inside a given folder

chflags -R uchg /path/to/folder

and this one will unlock everything

chflags -R nouchg /path/to/folder

you can automate this if you wish. you can make a service using automator which will be in the right click menu in finder and lock everything recursively.

Also, if I do lock the folders will it be like Windows in that I can still add files to the folders - it just grumbles when I either delete them or try to re-save them after editing.

no, if you lock a folder you won't be able to add anything to it while it's locked.

I guess iPhoto doesn't do what you want?

Open the AppleScript Editor in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder, select the target folder in the frontmost Finder window, and run:

tell application "Finder"
set locked of (every file of entire contents of (selection as alias)) to true
end tell

(48616)

I think this shell script would run much faster than the applescript:

find /path/to/picture/folder -type f -exec chflags uchg {} +

Does anyone know if you can pass a path to the find command via a variable?
Figured it out:

find "$@" -type f -exec chflags uchg {} +

Message was edited by: Barney-15E

Taking it a step further…
Create a new Automator Service with Service receives 'folders' in 'Finder'
Drag a Run Shell Script action from the Utilities Library
Change it to Pass Input: Arguments
Add this code: {code}find "$@" -type f -exec chflags uchg {} +
Save it as something like "Lock files". You can then use it by right-clicking on a folder and selecting "Lock files" from the Services menu.
You can make a similar one with nouchg instead.

I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to test a file in the folder for the locked bit and then toggle uchg/nouchg so you'd have a single service which either locks or unlocks the files.

Ok, I couldn't leave it. Here is the code for the Automator do shell script action:

if [[ ! "$(find "$@" -type f -flags uchg)" ]]; then
 find "$@" -type f -exec chflags uchg {} +
else
 find "$@" -type f -exec chflags nouchg {} +
fi

That will toggle the locked/unlocked setting. You can make just one service that will toggle the locked/unlocked status. It took a while to get the if condition to work. It seems the [ -n "$var" ] (is var not empty) does not work in Automator. It works fine in a shell.

I would keep it as two separate scripts. with your last suggestion even if there is a single locked file in the folder somewhere for whatever reason the script will unlock everything. this might be the opposite of what's intended and can get confusing.

I should have caveated that. I chose locked, but perhaps unlocked makes more sense as when you add a new file, it will be unlocked. Then, when you toggle it, I would assume you want them locked. If they are locked, and you add a new unlocked file, the next logical step would be to Lock them. If you unlock for editing and then add a new file, Locked is the next logical step.

Right now, it says if there are no locked files, then lock them; otherwise unlock them. In the add to locked files case, it would unlock. If you set it for no unlocked files (nouchg in the if condition), then unlock, it would work better. I suppose you could make more conditions, but I think if you just change the uchg to nouchg and vice versa, the toggle works as expected. Not perfect, but better.