If you need a GUI to change the owner of a file or files, try BatChMod
Download BatChmod 1.51
Works on 10.5 and 10.6
http://www.macchampion.com/arbysoft/BatchMod/Download.html
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Here are similar teminal commands:
Macintosh-HD -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
#Your current user is:
echo $USER
#Let's assume myuser
#Or, you can use the id command.
id
#Remember, this will be the correct userid. You need to find the bad userid.
#You need to look on one of your bad files. To find out your UID and GID do:
cd ~
ls -ln
ls -l
ls -ln filename-of-bad-file
Now, compare the output and write down what you find.
You best use the numeric value of the old userid. In this case it is 501. Before you do a command that will change files, you should list all the files to be changed. From an administrator account, enter the following command:
sudo find -x / -user 501 -exec ls -l {} \;
# the system will ask for your log on password. Type it in. The letters will not appear on the screen. Then, press the enter key.
# adding a -x before the / limits the search to the current file system which will be your startup partition.
# To stop the display press control-c ( hold down the control key then press c )
mac $ sudo find -x / -user 501 -exec ls -l {} \;
-rwxr-xr-x 1 na unknown 0 Oct 23 2001 /Applications/AppleWorks 6/AppleWorks 6.app/AppleWorks 6
-rwxr-xr-x 1 na unknown 0 Oct 23 2001 /Applications/AppleWorks 6/AppleWorks 6.app/Contents/MacOS/AppleWorks Essentials
-rwxr-xr-x 1 na unknown 0 Oct 23 2001 /Applications/AppleWorks 6/AppleWorks 6.app/Contents/MacOS/Clippings
-rwxr-xr-x 1 na unknown 0 Oct 23 2001 /Applications/AppleWorks 6/AppleWorks
^C
This command will change the ownership of a file.
Any file or folder with a userid of 501 is changed to 1000. Your numbers will differ.
sudo find -x / -user 501 -exec chown 1000 {} \;
#And you need to do this from an administrator id.
More examples:
sudo find -x / -user 501 -exec chown 5464 {} \;
sudo find -x / -group 20 -exec chgrp 211 {} \;
#combined change of uid & gid
sudo find -x / -user 501 -exec chown 5464:211 {} \;
Hope this helps a little.
Robert
