TopherPSU

Q: new format doesn't have user in permission

Running El Capitan 10.11.6 on 2006 Mac Pro 1,1  (Yes, it's possible)

2x 3GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon

16GB 667 MHz DDR2 FB-DIMM

System drive is a SSD

Graphics card (if you really want it for some reason):  ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256 MB

 

As well as my 2008 MacBook.  Running El Capitan 10.11.6, wiped, and zeroed hard drive, 2 nights ago, fresh install:

13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008

2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4GB 1067 MHz DDR3

System drive is also a SSD

Graphics (again, if you want it): NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

 

 

Whenever I format or partition a drive, the new "Sharing & Permissions" doesn't list me (the administrator and ONLY user on the machine) at all.

 

It has:

system : Read & Write

admin : Read & Write

everyone : Read only

 

If I want to have full access to the drive/partition (considering I have 6 physical drives, and 12 partitions spread at different sizes amongst different drives), I have to unlock the drive in "Get Info", then go down to "Sharing & Permissions", unlock the panel, then add myself.

Now, not only do I have to add myself, when I do so, it adds me as a read only user.  I ALSO have to change my permissions to read & write, and then make myself the owner, and then apply to the enclosed items.

 

No, this isn't some terribly vital issue, but it's driving me nuts.  I was making a disk image of an external HDD that I use for time machine, so that I can reformat the partition structure on it, and then move data back on as I chose...  The disk is a 1TB disk.  It was about 75% full.  When the disk image was completing (after a good number of hours, it failed, because I hadn't updated the permissions on the partition I was backing up to.

 

Does anyone know how to prevent the default from NOT including your user in the permissions when creating a new partition or formatting a new disk?

 

OR, to reword it:  does anyone know how to INCLUDE your user in the permissions when creating a new partition or formatting a new disk?

OS X El Capitan (10.11.6), Permissions issues.

Posted on Sep 12, 2016 9:56 PM

Close

Q: new format doesn't have user in permission

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Sep 12, 2016 10:10 PM in response to TopherPSU
    Level 10 (271,133 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 12, 2016 10:10 PM in response to TopherPSU

    system : Read & Write

    admin : Read & Write

    everyone : Read only

     

    The above is one of the correct set of privileges for a newly formatted drive. The other is:

     

    system : Read & Write

    wheel : Read only

    everyone : Read only

     

    Other permissions will differ depending on the particular directory and who gets access to the files. As an admin user you do not have automatic entitlement to everything. That belongs to the system or root user. I don't understand your concern insofar as the first set you posted was what you see on your system. In it the admin user (you) has read and write privileges. So I don't understand your complaint. Under no circumstances should you alter the automatic privileges that are set nor add your username (me) to the list of users.

     

    Before you start complaining about or making changes as you have, you should spend some time learning more about who the users are and what privileges they should have. I think you should do this before you truly screw up your system.

  • by TopherPSU,

    TopherPSU TopherPSU Sep 12, 2016 10:26 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 12, 2016 10:26 PM in response to Kappy

    Kappy,

     

    First, there's no need to give me attitude about this.  I asked a question, & I think I was pretty polite about it.

     

    Second, no, I do not have automatic entitlement to everything.  Without my user being explicitly added, as I described, I am unable to save, copy, move, or change many files, folders, etc.  This isn't even on the system drive.  This is on any bare drive/bare partition that I've created.  If not for having those issues, no, there wouldn't be a problem for me.  BUT, those issues ARE a problem for me.

     

    I've never (knocks on wood) had any kind of issues with changing permissions in any of my years working with Windows, OSx & the proportionately small amount of Linux I've used/know.

     

    I've tried doing it without making any changes, multiple ways.  The only way that works is if I do it in terminal.  Which I don't want to always have to do.  Aside from that, the only thing that works is my "solution" (which, you don't seem is one) above.

     

    Do you have anything else you can say, nicely to me?

     

    P.S. - In case you're unsure (this is NOT sarcasm right now), in an effort to not start a fight on here, when I said attitude, I was referring to you saying I was complaining, and inferring that I would destroy my system.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Sep 13, 2016 12:17 AM in response to TopherPSU
    Level 10 (271,133 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2016 12:17 AM in response to TopherPSU

    I did not intend to sound mean about it, but you were sort of complaining. And, it is quite easy to mess up your system badly by making improper permissions changes. I was being quite tough about it because I would rather scare you from making a big mistake. I have only your best interests in mind. I did not say you had any sort of entitlement about anything, automatic or otherwise.

     

    In any event, I suggest you remove the change you said you made. Hopefully, you can select the unneeded user and click on the Delete [-] button to return the permissions to what they were before you changed them. And, in the future please ask here before undertaking any system-related changes. Better to avoid a problem than fix a problem.

     

    I have a pretty thick skin and would not start a fight at all. But I call them as I see them (problems, that is, not the person.) Some people find me a bit too direct. So, I hope this meets your wish to have me say more to you, nicely.

  • by TopherPSU,

    TopherPSU TopherPSU Sep 13, 2016 12:35 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 13, 2016 12:35 AM in response to Kappy

    Sorry if I sounded like I was complaining, it's just frustrating, especially after having an extremely long backup fail, due to the issues mentioned above.

     

    I understand the potential damage that changing permissions on a system can have.  I won't scare too easily, as although I haven't posted here, before, I do usually know what I'm doing pretty well.

     

    The entitlement comment I made, wasn't about me feeling entitled, I was referring to what you said that being an admin doesn't give me automatic entitlement to everything.

     

    I can easily remove the changes I've made, however, the issue will then return/persist.  Besides running the backup in terminal, is there any other method you know of that will not give me the issues I was describing?  Again, I do understand your concern about potential damage.  But this isn't something that will go away if I do nothing.

     

    Thank you for saying things more nicely (lol), but I don't see a way around this issue without the permissions change.

     

    A little sidenote: I did change the permissions as I noted (my way) to the destination drive for the backup, and restarted the backup - but only did the large time machine partition, rather than the entire disk.  It's been running for hours.  Still less than before, but it's probably 80-90% done.  I can post the results if/when it finishes, if you'd like.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Sep 13, 2016 5:17 PM in response to TopherPSU
    Level 10 (271,133 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 13, 2016 5:17 PM in response to TopherPSU

    There are many different users defined withing Unix. What you see:

     

    It has:

    system : Read & Write

    admin : Read & Write

    everyone : Read only

    means there are three users defined. System refers to the root user. The root user has access to everything and every other user. Admin is a Group user. Anyone who is in the Admin group has access to everything not specifically reserved to the root user. On your computer's root directory you see a System folder which belongs exclusively to System. The Admin user has access to the root Library folder and the other two Library folders but can only read any non-Admin user's files. The Standard user only has access to his/her own data.

     

    By default OS X puts your admin account in the Admin Group. Therefore, you do not require an additional user in the listing because you are already in the Admin group. If you were to see a Wheel group that is just a special type of group that can switch between Admin and System users.

     

    Now, I am not sure what you are trying to do through the Terminal, but if you need to execute a command reserved to the root user, then you can obtain a temporary access by preceding the command with "sudo".

     

    Maybe you could tell me more specifically what you need to do and why you think you need to change the users and permissions.