Sharing files and folders between two users – permissions

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Sharing files and folders between two users – permissions

This takes up this earlier post: it is about creating an ACL such that several users can work on shared files without affecting the access permissions. Barney-15E proposed a solution using the chmod-command:

chmod -R +a "group:staff allow list,add_file,search,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextattr,writeextattr,readsecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit" "/Users/Shared/"

Before testing this on my device, I was wondering whether people have experience with this approach: does it work in MacOS Ventura? Is there a potential safety issue? Are there other approaches?

Mac mini (M1, 2020)

Posted on Aug 23, 2023 7:21 AM

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Answer 1

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Barney-15E

Level 10

113,650 points

Aug 23, 2023 3:27 PM in response to AppleGardener55

I will explore your proposal using the chmod-command.

This article has some info on setting it up. It doesn't explain all of the options. You may not need or want some of them. That ACL I posted essentially gives every member of the group full access to the folders.

You can view the chmod manual using

man chmod

The ACL info is towards the end and it has short blurbs on all of the options.

There are probably better sources of information on the ACLs on the web. It's all standard Unix.

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Answer 2

satcomer

Level 4

1,545 points

Aug 23, 2023 2:43 PM in response to Barney-15E

I've seen this sense SMB networks this year with Ventura! Sense Ventura came on my M1 Mac Book Air I've noticed that on older Domains Ventura in Network adds to share or creates a share on NAS the USER only has permission to view that share! I've rebooted my MBA several times and this happens if modify or creation on share in folder the file will lock to that user only on NAS! It never did this before Ventura and never been fixed! Yes I went to Feedback - MacBook Air - Apple several times but it seems to falling on deaf ears!

My bad I forgot to link to iCloud.com to get Mail web page, sorry!

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Answer 3

Aug 23, 2023 8:10 AM in response to ku4hx

My apologies if I sounded mistrustful. I am mainly surprised that in today’s digital world of teamwork and file sharing, there is no built-in solution in MacOS which allows users to work in a shared directory without having to adjust access permissions each time another user has created or modified a document.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

113,650 points

Aug 23, 2023 8:31 AM in response to AppleGardener55

That is exactly how it is done in this modern world. You need to configure your host as a file server. That is entirely different from file sharing.

The macOS server app had a GUI interface for configuring a file server, but that was removed as it was easily configured through the command line.

Blindly configuring a file server without understanding all of the nuances open security holes.

iCloud offers collaborative file operations without having to configure a file server.

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Answer 5

Aug 23, 2023 2:16 PM in response to Barney-15E

Barney-15E wrote:

You need to configure your host as a file server. That is entirely different from file sharing.

Many thanks for pointing out the difference between file sharing and a file server, which I hadn't realized. As for my purpose I don't want to set up a full fledged file server, and I also don't want to use some external cloud service, I will explore your proposal using the chmod-command.

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Answer 6

Aug 23, 2023 10:17 PM in response to AppleGardener55

If all of the users are separate user accounts on the same Mac, it might be easier to add a separate APFS volume using Disk Utility, and then disable/ignore permissions on that volume. It doesn't take up any space other than the files that you add to it.

NOTE: Adding an APFS Volume to your existing Container, which I recommend, is much easier than partitioning your disk and creating a second APFS Container with its own Volume (which I don't recommend except in special cases).

Otherwise, Barney-15E's solution is probably best.

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