ACL control on OS X for ExFat drive

Question

ACL control on OS X for ExFat drive

Is it possible to use ACL controls on OS X 10.9 (Server) when using an ExFat formatted drive? I am sharing the drive via the file sharing service and I want to make it available to only certain users or groups. Currently, I get an error notice saying that POSIX permissions will not apply to an ExFat Drive, but I can not tell where I am supposed to enable, or add, or otherwise control ACL features in the server app.

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), Running Server.app 3.0.1

Posted on Jan 3, 2014 11:28 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 4, 2014 4:59 AM in response to thejourneyler

You have full control of the ACLs by using Server.app and following this path:

1: Select your server at the top of the sidebar list.

2: Select the storage tab

3: Drill down to the folder(s) you've defined as shares

4: Using the Gear menu button, choose Edit Permissions

The three entries that are there are the POSIX permissions. User, group, and everyone, in that order.

Use the + button to add ACL entries. Once complete, click OK and then use the Gear menu button to propogate the permissions through the data set.

Now, the real question, however, is why must you use ExFat? I have never attempted the use of this disk format for file services so I am not sure the permission model will work. Is there a reason why you can not use HFS+?

R-

Apple Consultants Network

Apple Professional Services

Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in the Apple iBooks Store

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Answer 2

Jan 4, 2014 5:43 AM in response to thejourneyler

Hi

"Is it possible to use ACLs . . . when using an ExFat formatted drive?

In my testing both OS X permissions models (POSIX and ACLs) work with ExFAT formatted drives. Perhaps you used 3rd-Party software to do the formatting rather than OS X or Windows?

HTH?

Tony

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Answer 3

Jan 4, 2014 2:34 PM in response to Strontium90

Thank you, I found the ACL interface now... That was very helpful. The kicker (in my case) is that the ExFat drives are not showing up in the storage options tab. (Step #2 in your list.) So, it seems that from the interface I can not apply the ACLs. However, it should be noted that the File Sharing service does see the drives (and their icons are also on the desktop and in the Finder sidebar). So, the drives are mounting but not visible in the storage options tab. Any suggestions?

FYI: the drives are Western Digital Passports with USB3 interfaces. At the time of original posing I was connecting them though a USB 3.0 Hub by plugable (USB3-HUB7A). I tried removing the hub and directly connecting the dives to the MacMini but this did not result in any change in visibility of the drives on the storage option tab.

To answer the question about why ExFat over HFS+: HFS+ is my preferred option. These drives are sometimes connected to the network. And sometimes they are needed by a Windows machine for local data processing. Size of the files is often over 2GB as the data on the drives is used in a workflow for audio processing and the files are 96kHz/24 bit .wav. So, cross-platform large file size dictated the drive format options. The server is deployed as part of a home network therefore buying dedicated drives just for connecting to the server are not in scope at the moment but may be in the future. At that time data would be transferred to HFS+ formatted drives.

Would it be better to format the drives as HFS+ and use a utility like MacDrive on our Windows Machines?

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Answer 4

Jan 4, 2014 2:26 PM in response to Antonio Rocco

@Tony,

Actually these drives (there are 2 of them behaving the same way) were both formated with OS X.

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Answer 5

Jan 4, 2014 2:40 PM in response to thejourneyler

Hi

Some have reported problems using OS X to format drives as ExFAT. Try using Windows8 to format them instead and see if the problem disappears. You've nothing to lose.

HTH?

Tony

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Answer 6

Jan 4, 2014 2:54 PM in response to thejourneyler

Here is a screen shot, I meant to include it in my reply above but forgot. I find that screen shots help provide clarity and establish context.

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