Mount smb server 'tree'

Ok, I understand their on there own machine and you want to simplify things for the user.

But they are not discouraged by:

mac $ pwd
/Users/mac
mac $ ls -ld videotest/
dr-x------  5 mac  staff   170B May 17 18:38 videotest//
mac $ ls -l videotest/
total 0
-rw-r--r--  1 mac   staff     0B Apr 19 19:25 echo
-r-x------  1 root  staff     0B May 17 18:35 one*
-r-x------  1 root  staff     0B May 17 18:35 two*
mac $ 

and there not discouraged by the subsequence message that they will not be able to see it again?

to see what files are open in the finder you can look in /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor

click on disk.

I guess these are currently open with no history.

Look for recently changed files ( maybe it includes accessed. I don't know. )

example output.

My first place to look would be keychain.

--------------------------------

The ultimate would be to get the fslogger program. You can use it to track what an app does.

Be sure to get the correct version of the program.

I discovered a new toy.

fslogger

http://osxbook.com/software/fslogger/

This command line program finds the same files as Spotlight indexes.

Macintosh-HD -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

cd /Applcations/fslogger
mac $ sudo ./fslogger
fsevents device cloned (fd 5)
fslogger ready
      ... clipped ...
# Event
  type           = FSE_CONTENT_MODIFIED
  pid            = 233 (firefox-bin)
  # Details
    # type           len  data
    FSE_ARG_VNODE     85  path   = /Users/mac/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/Default User/sessionstore.js
    FSE_ARG_DEV        4  fsid   = 0xe00000c
    FSE_ARG_INO        4  ino    = 2444670
    FSE_ARG_MODE       4  mode   = -rw-r--r--  (0x0081a4, vnode type VREG)
    FSE_ARG_UID        4  uid    = 1000 (mac)
    FSE_ARG_GID        4  gid    = 20 (staff)
    FSE_ARG_DONE (0xb33f)

You need to run it in the terminal.

Macintosh-HD -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

# The sudo command will ask for your administration password. No characters will appear when typing your password. Press return when done typing. sudo stands for super user do. It's just like root. Be careful.

sudo ./fslogger

OK. That makes sense. You don’t want people doing anything intensive on the SMB shares anyway. Even Quicklook will lock it up eventually.

I suggest moving your visual tree out of /Volumes. Or at least, put it on a central, initial mount point on the server. You can create internal folders on it according to that structure. For the actual mount points, use Finder aliases. You will have to mount the desired locations once first. Then, drag the open server window from the icon in the Finder window title bar to the desktop while holding down option+command (I think). Then, anytime someone double-clicks on that alias file, it will mount that location.

You still won’t be able to control where in /Volumes things get mounted. But from a visual perspective, in the Finder, it will look the way you want.

There are two ways to specify point points. You can do it via autofs, but that requires the machine to be bound to the domain and the user in AD. It is really nice because you don’t have to hard-code passwords. But in the example you describe, that doesn’t sound like the right approach.

Another option would be to write a little program to mount these servers at the desired locations. AppleScript is pretty lame to begin with. There isn’t much you can do with it. Any other scripting language that will bridge to the underlying APIs will allow you to mount the servers in the desired locations.

However, you really shouldn’t mount things in /Volumes like that. Let the Finder own that. Don’t try to create your own folders. It might work and it might not. Just trying to mount SMB volumes puts you into unusual territory. When I see people having problems with mounts, it isn’t unusual to see them doing something funky like this in /Volumes. If you want a specific mount point, a lower risk option is a dedicated location elsewhere.

the ./Company folder instead of the actual shares. But instead of giving me permission denied errors, finder just asks for the user's password and copies anyway.

I'm not a heavy on the ins and outs of sharing. Your in good hands with etresoft.

I'd look into how the server is configured. It seems to me the server should be able to block this. I've have heard some strange things about how base level Windows shares work. I'd look into ACL's.

R

You could put a folder action on the folders you do not want them to add junk and ask them where to move the file to; should they not follow instructions. You can suggest the valid folders. for the move You could write apps for each of the folders and have them drop the files they want to save on the "correct" server and have the app copy the files to the server. This way the file will end up on the server or on the desktop. Of course if they want to look at the server ? double click is view or drop is copy. Of course, they could look around and see what is going on.

You want to assist the user from making an accidental mistake. You would need some other method for the malicious user.

No perfect world. I'd check out acl's and see if they have any more power.

R

How secure do those user credentials have to be?

You might try a more elaborate AppleScript that asks the user for their passwords and then uses “do shell script” to execute “mount” with the appropriate parameters to mount those volumes right where you want them.

Otherwise, I don’t see a real answer. If an elaborate solution isn’t really good and really stable, is really any better than a laminated sheet of instructions?

fyi: folder actions example with debugging via on run.

(* 
  Demonstration of how dropping files on AppleScript icon works.  Shows how to debug via on run path. Shows items added to folder.
  
 Save as an Application Bundle.  Don't check anything.
 
 Shows log statement.
 
 It is easier to diagnose problems with debug information. I suggest adding log statements to your script to see what is going on.  Here is an example.
	
For testing, run in the Script Editor.
	1) Click on the Event Log tab to see the output from the log statement
	2) Click on Run


Author: rccharles

 *)


-- Gets invoked here when you run in AppleScript editor.

on run
	--  debug lines
	set desktopPath to (path to desktop) as string
	
	-- here is a log statment.
	log "desktopPath = " & desktopPath
	
	-- Be sure to select a file on your DESKTOP.
	set see to alias (desktopPath & "Picture 1.png")
	
	-- Simulate dropped items list.
	set dropped_items to {see}
	
	common(dropped_items)
	
end run


-- Folder actions.
-- Gets invoked here when something is dropped on the folder that this script is monitoring.
-- Right click on the folder to be monitored. services > Folder Action Settup...

on adding folder items to this_folder after receiving added_items
	
	common(added_items)
	
end adding folder items to



-- Gets invoked here when something is dropped on this AppleScript icon

on open dropped_items
	
	common(dropped_items)
	
end open



on common(dropped_items)
	
	-- Write a message into the event log.
	log "  --- Starting on " & ((current date) as string) & " --- "
	tell application "Script Editor"
		activate
	end tell
	
	
	log "class = " & class of dropped_items
	
	
	repeat with droppedItem in dropped_items
		log "The droppedItem is " & droppedItem & "; class = " & class of droppedItem
		
		display dialog "The droppedItem is " & droppedItem giving up after 3
	end repeat
	
	
end common

replaces the original mount directory names with the share name. This is a common issue apparently.

That is a feature! 😎

I think is the way Linux does it. It has the advantage of usisng the same name across the network. 😇

I'll ponder this some more.

R

I think we should go back and revisit how you got to this situation.

Seems to me that your users will be familiar with how the mac does business. So, why all the duplication? Getting the shared folders on the desktop seems good enough for me. Users can access them in the standard way.

This seems to be the official way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sdlfAvU5-M

I'll admit it's a little longwinded. The script could automate this process as much as possible.

R