Change default UMASK

[Ian]

I have tried to change the default umask settings in several different
places with no success.

What I want to do is create a folder that different users can use to put
shared documents in. The problem I am having is when user #1 creates a
document it is read only for the group and if user #2 opens it, it is
read only. How do I change it so that by default when a user creates a
document someone else in the same group can open the file for read write.

I assume I have to change the default umask to get this to work but
everything I have tried leaves the umask 022.

Can someone tell me the proper way to get this going.

Ian

[Centurion]

Ian wrote:

> I have tried to change the default umask settings in several different
> places with no success.
>
> What I want to do is create a folder that different users can use to put
> shared documents in. The problem I am having is when user #1 creates a
> document it is read only for the group and if user #2 opens it, it is
> read only. How do I change it so that by default when a user creates a
> document someone else in the same group can open the file for read write.
>
> I assume I have to change the default umask to get this to work but
> everything I have tried leaves the umask 022.
>
> Can someone tell me the proper way to get this going.

Change the sticky bit for the group on the directories you need group RW on.
No offence, but this is all explained REALLY well in the man page:

man chmod

Let me know if you have any questions.

HTH,

James
--
I am the mother of all things, and all things should wear a sweater.

[Ian]

Centurion wrote:

> Ian wrote:
>

>> I have tried to change the default umask settings in several different
>> places with no success.
>>
>> What I want to do is create a folder that different users can use to put
>> shared documents in. The problem I am having is when user #1 creates a
>> document it is read only for the group and if user #2 opens it, it is
>> read only. How do I change it so that by default when a user creates a
>> document someone else in the same group can open the file for read write.
>>
>> I assume I have to change the default umask to get this to work but
>> everything I have tried leaves the umask 022.
>>
>> Can someone tell me the proper way to get this going.

>
> Change the sticky bit for the group on the directories you need group RW on.
> No offence, but this is all explained REALLY well in the man page:
>
> man chmod
>
> Let me know if you have any questions.
>
> HTH,
>
> James

No offense taken. From the man chmod I copied this

> When the sticky bit is set on a directory, files in that directory may
> be unlinked or renamed only by root or their owner. Without the sticky
> bit, anyone able to write to the directory can delete or rename files.
> The sticky bit is commonly found on directories, such as /tmp, that are
> world-writable.

Seems the sticky bit it only prevents users deleting or renaming files.

If you meant set the group ID bit that doesn't solve my problem either.
Yes the users have rw access to the folder, but my problem is, if user
number one fires up open office and creates a new document and saves it
to the folder it is saved with rwx r-- r-- permissions no matter how I
set permissions on the folder. So if user number two opens the document
he can't edit it. He can make a copy of it and edit the the copy, but
can't edit the original.

It's a pain if the document creator has to go back in and change the
permissions to rwx rw- r-- every time he creates a document.

I think I need to change the default creation mask from 022 to 002. I
just can't seem to find the right place to make the change stick.

Ian

[Centurion]

Ian wrote:

> Centurion wrote:

>> Ian wrote:
>>

>>> I have tried to change the default umask settings in several different
>>> places with no success.
>>>
>>> What I want to do is create a folder that different users can use to put
>>> shared documents in. The problem I am having is when user #1 creates a
>>> document it is read only for the group and if user #2 opens it, it is
>>> read only. How do I change it so that by default when a user creates a
>>> document someone else in the same group can open the file for read
>>> write.
>>>
>>> I assume I have to change the default umask to get this to work but
>>> everything I have tried leaves the umask 022.
>>>
>>> Can someone tell me the proper way to get this going.

>>
>> Change the sticky bit for the group on the directories you need group RW
>> on. No offence, but this is all explained REALLY well in the man page:
>>
>> man chmod
>>
>> Let me know if you have any questions.
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> James

>
> No offense taken. From the man chmod I copied this
>

>> When the sticky bit is set on a directory, files in that directory may
>> be unlinked or renamed only by root or their owner. Without the
>> sticky
>> bit, anyone able to write to the directory can delete or rename
>> files. The sticky bit is commonly found on directories, such as
>> /tmp, that are world-writable.

>
> Seems the sticky bit it only prevents users deleting or renaming files.
>
> If you meant set the group ID bit that doesn't solve my problem either.
> Yes the users have rw access to the folder, but my problem is, if user
> number one fires up open office and creates a new document and saves it
> to the folder it is saved with rwx r-- r-- permissions no matter how I
> set permissions on the folder. So if user number two opens the document
> he can't edit it. He can make a copy of it and edit the the copy, but
> can't edit the original.
>
> It's a pain if the document creator has to go back in and change the
> permissions to rwx rw- r-- every time he creates a document.
>
> I think I need to change the default creation mask from 022 to 002. I
> just can't seem to find the right place to make the change stick.

Ah - I see what you're trying to do. Apologies - I read your first post
rather quickly...my bad.

/etc/login.defs is the magic you're after :) Read the comments in there
though as it may not be the best solution for your situation.

If your users enter the system from various points (login, ssh, gdm, etc)
you may want to use the "libpam-umask" package instead:

This PAM module sets the umask for successfully authenticated sessions.
The umask affects the permissions assigned to newly created files by
default.

This package is useful to ensure that users' umasks are set consistently
whether their session is initiated by login, SSH, a display manager for
the X Window System, or some other means.

Sorry about the confusion earlier :)

Cheers,

James
--
Just because he's dead is no reason to lay off work.

[Ian]

Centurion wrote:

> Ian wrote:
>

>> Centurion wrote:

>>> Ian wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have tried to change the default umask settings in several different
>>>> places with no success.
>>>>
>>>> What I want to do is create a folder that different users can use to put
>>>> shared documents in. The problem I am having is when user #1 creates a
>>>> document it is read only for the group and if user #2 opens it, it is
>>>> read only. How do I change it so that by default when a user creates a
>>>> document someone else in the same group can open the file for read
>>>> write.
>>>>
>>>> I assume I have to change the default umask to get this to work but
>>>> everything I have tried leaves the umask 022.
>>>>
>>>> Can someone tell me the proper way to get this going.
>>> Change the sticky bit for the group on the directories you need group RW
>>> on. No offence, but this is all explained REALLY well in the man page:
>>>
>>> man chmod
>>>
>>> Let me know if you have any questions.
>>>
>>> HTH,
>>>
>>> James

>> No offense taken. From the man chmod I copied this
>>

>>> When the sticky bit is set on a directory, files in that directory may
>>> be unlinked or renamed only by root or their owner. Without the
>>> sticky
>>> bit, anyone able to write to the directory can delete or rename
>>> files. The sticky bit is commonly found on directories, such as
>>> /tmp, that are world-writable.

>> Seems the sticky bit it only prevents users deleting or renaming files.
>>
>> If you meant set the group ID bit that doesn't solve my problem either.
>> Yes the users have rw access to the folder, but my problem is, if user
>> number one fires up open office and creates a new document and saves it
>> to the folder it is saved with rwx r-- r-- permissions no matter how I
>> set permissions on the folder. So if user number two opens the document
>> he can't edit it. He can make a copy of it and edit the the copy, but
>> can't edit the original.
>>
>> It's a pain if the document creator has to go back in and change the
>> permissions to rwx rw- r-- every time he creates a document.
>>
>> I think I need to change the default creation mask from 022 to 002. I
>> just can't seem to find the right place to make the change stick.

>
> Ah - I see what you're trying to do. Apologies - I read your first post
> rather quickly...my bad.
>
> /etc/login.defs is the magic you're after :) Read the comments in there
> though as it may not be the best solution for your situation.
>
> If your users enter the system from various points (login, ssh, gdm, etc)
> you may want to use the "libpam-umask" package instead:
>
> This PAM module sets the umask for successfully authenticated sessions.
> The umask affects the permissions assigned to newly created files by
> default.
>
> This package is useful to ensure that users' umasks are set consistently
> whether their session is initiated by login, SSH, a display manager for
> the X Window System, or some other means.
>
> Sorry about the confusion earlier :)
>
> Cheers,
>
> James

That is exactly what I'm looking for, I'll give it a try

Thanks again

Ian