Issues With AFP Server On Old MBP

[steiney]

Hello all,

I have a late 2006 MBP 2.33GHz C2D with 2GB RAM running 10.6.8 that I am trying to set up as a file server for my house via AFP using my WiFi network. I'm having two issues:

1. I have "File Sharing" turned on in the "Sharing" pane, and I only have one folder loaded into the shared folders list (a folder on a connected external HD full of TV Shows), but yet, when I connect to the server from the client, I can access the server's HD and every single file on it. I shouldn't be able to do that, right? I have only the TV Shows folder from the connected external HD in my "Shared Folders" list. Why do I have root access to the file system?

2. I apparently already set up a password previously for connecting to the AFP server from my current computer. I can see where I can update the password as the user on the client side, but I don't see where I can control the password on the server side as admin. The current password for to log into the server via AFP is the same as the password I have set to log into it as a normal user using it as a laptop. Does AFP force you to use the active user's password as the connection password?

Any help is greatly appreciated! I was toying with the idea of getting one of the really nice Synology servers, but then I decided to see if I could pull it all off with a custom rig built around my old MBP. If I can get the AFP working the way I want, I plan to looking into an 8 disk RAID 10 set up, so I can run all my media off one server and use it for Mac and iDevice back ups.

EDIT: I should probably add that both the server and client have the same username logged in. It's not the actually the same user account, but I named my current laptop the same name as my previous laptop, so maybe that's causing me to have root access to the file system? If so, that's a pretty serious security concern.

 

[chrfr]

when I connect to the server from the client, I can access the server's HD and every single file on it. I shouldn't be able to do that, right? I have only the TV Shows folder from the connected external HD in my "Shared Folders" list. Why do I have root access to the file system?

2. I apparently already set up a password previously for connecting to the AFP server from my current computer. I can see where I can update the password as the user on the client side, but I don't see where I can control the password on the server side as admin. The current password for to log into the server via AFP is the same as the password I have set to log into it as a normal user using it as a laptop. Does AFP force you to use the active user's password as the connection password?

This is how OS X File Sharing works when you connect to the computer with an administrator account. If you make a non-admin account on the "server" and connect with that, you'll only see what's enabled in the sharing system preference, but admins see all the disks.
You're connecting using the credentials of an existing account on the server. By necessity that uses the same password as the login account on the server itself. Again, make a new account if you want that to be different.

 

[steiney]

This is how OS X File Sharing works when you connect to the computer with an administrator account. If you make a non-admin account on the "server" and connect with that, you'll only see what's enabled in the sharing system preference, but admins see all the disks.
You're connecting using the credentials of an existing account on the server. By necessity that uses the same password as the login account on the server itself. Again, make a new account if you want that to be different.

Thanks for the reply! I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly. Are you saying that I'm getting root access on the client side because the account I'm logged in on the server side is an admin OR because the account I'm logged into on the client side is has the exact same username and password? Or are those two different reasons that both cause the root access?

 

[chrfr]

Thanks for the reply! I just want to make sure I'm understanding you correctly. Are you saying that I'm getting root access on the client side because the account I'm logged in on the server side is an admin OR because the account I'm logged into on the client side is has the exact same username and password? Or are those two different reasons that both cause the root access?

That is because you're using an administrator account.

 

[steiney]

That is because you're using an administrator account.

On the server side, right? (I'm sorry! I'm honestly not trying to be a complete idiot here. Just want to make sure I understand correctly.)

 

[chrfr]

On the server side, right? (I'm sorry! I'm honestly not trying to be a complete idiot here. Just want to make sure I understand correctly.)

Yes, because you're connecting to the "server" with an account that has administrative privileges there.

 

[steiney]

Yes, because you're connecting to the "server" with an account that has administrative privileges there.

I understand perfectly now. Thank you so much for your help and for being patient with me!