What is the difference between the Users / Shared folder and the (User's Name Home) / Shared folder?
I have tried both "Shared" folders using Apple Support's suggested methods and have not found either of them to be of use.
I am trying to shared access to files between two users on the same Mac.
Also, The Public & Drop Box folders don't seem to be of much use either.
Mac mini, macOS 13.2
There isn't a default /Users/username/Shared folder. It would have to have been something you or some software created.
My guess is you want a file server. By default, the user permissions do not offer "file server"-type permissions. You have to add an ACL to the topmost folder. The ACL uses a group you create in Users & Groups for all of the users.
chmod -R +a "group:<groupName> allow list,add_file,search,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextattr,writeextattr,reads ecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit" "Path/to/directory/"
You have to change <groupName> to whatever you name your group, and change "path/to/directory/" to whatever folder you want to start from, like /Users/Shared.
After making the changes to the command, paste it into a Terminal window and hit return.
Check the permissions on the Users/Shared folder are Read & Write for system, wheel and everyone.
" have not found either of them to be of use" - can you elaborate, please.
Those are the POSIX permissions, user, group, and others.
An item has a user or owner, and can be in a group (or not). If a user is neither the owner or in the same group, then the Other (everyone) permissions apply.
When you create a file, the user is you and the group set based on the group of the enclosing folder, and everyone is set to no access.
So, if you create a file in that folder, at best others will have read access. They can copy or read, but not edit or delete.
The Access Control List can override the POSIX permissions. That ACL gives everyone in the same group full access to all files created in that folder.
Ok.
Is there a typo in the command after writeextattr?
Yes, There should not be a space in readsecurity.
That is exactly what @Barney-15E's advice is all about (using the Shared folder)
Based on your comment and the fact that a second user account that I created doesn't have a Shared folder in the Home folder, I removed the Shared folder in question.
I don't know how is got there.
I migrated my files from my previous Mac and I didn't use Shared folders previously.
Having tried to study the various Apple Support articles about using Shared folders and Sharing in general, I have not been able to understand how this is of benefit when giving two User accounts permissions on the same Mac.
Either the files are Read Only or aren't displayed for both User accounts to have access to.
I have ended up setting both User accounts as Admin, and just giving both accounts Read & Write permissions to everything the the Mac will let me change permissions on.
So if the files created by a User account are automatically given permissions with Read Write only for the author?
So far the test files I have used in the Shared folder only open as Read Only files.
Again, I am confused.
Is there a way to have files available to two Users on the same Mac, that can be edited as needed by either User without having to mess with permissions repeatedly?
You will just have to constantly change permissions as each user will create files only editable by themselves. The ACL allows creating files with full access by all users in the group.
What is the difference between the Users / Shared folder and the (User's Name Home) / Shared folder?
