Permissions Nightmare

[seedylee]

I have an external harddrive, formatted as a HFS+ Journaled Drive, that is full of content from a previous Mac. However, I'm constantly having issues with permissions - files that are "locked", or Final Cut bundles that I don't have permission to access.

I am aware that I can ignore ownership on the drive, but that's not really a solution as it's a multi-user environment.

The problem seems to stem from corrupted ACLs, however Finder isn't great for fixing these as the options it presents are very limited. Seems the Apple way is to have to use the command line for everything.

Regular files and folders aren't too much of an issue to fix, but Packages (e.g. Photo libraries, iMovie libraries) seem to be another matter entirely.

What's the best way to fix permissions on an external hard drive, or indeed, of a user's directory on an internal hard drive. I'm sick of my Mac telling me I don't have access to files I clearly own!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Fishrrman]

"I am aware that I can ignore ownership on the drive, but that's not really a solution as it's a multi-user environment."

I know this sounds simplistic, but...

... why not have EVERY user (in the multi-user environment) set up the drive in question to "ignore ownership"?

Could this work, even though it's "a kludge"?

 

[seedylee]

"I am aware that I can ignore ownership on the drive, but that's not really a solution as it's a multi-user environment."

I know this sounds simplistic, but...

... why not have EVERY user (in the multi-user environment) set up the drive in question to "ignore ownership"?

Could this work, even though it's "a kludge"?

Wouldn't this then mean that all users would have access to one another's files?

 

[Fishrrman]

"Wouldn't this then mean that all users would have access to one another's files?"

On the drive in question, I think that it would. But I thought that's what your intent was.

I don't know much about file sharing -- have never used it in 30 years of being a Mac user.

If privacy is important, why don't these different users keep their files on their own computers?

Other than that, would you have to set up some kind of server with file sharing?
(Again, not a file-sharer here).