Setting Share Level Permissions Through Windows

[leonowski]

I'm not sure if this has been pointed out yet, but it looks like you can change share level permissions on your unRAID using a Windows Computer Management (compmgmt.msc) console or Shared Folders (fsmgmt.msc) console.  This can be useful if you want to lock a drive and prevent accidental deletes.

 

Here is how to do it:

 

1.  Start > Run > type fsmgmt.msc > click OK.

2.  Right click on "Share Folders (Local)"/

3.  Click "Connect to another computer"

4.  Type the name of your unRAID tower name or IP and then hit OK.

5.  Click on Shares and you should see each share listed.

6.  Right click on a share and go to Properties.

7.  Go to Share Permissions and uncheck everything but Read for Everyone.

 

I just realized you could use this to change settings for individual drives.  I wish I tried this before I accidentally deleted one of my HD .ts recordings. 

 

I hope this helps someone.

[BillK]

But if make this change on Computer "A", does it affect what someone logging on to Computer "B" can do to that some unRAID share?  Or is the effect limited to folks logging onto "A"?

[hypyke]

But if make this change on Computer "A", does it affect what someone logging on to Computer "B" can do to that some unRAID share?  Or is the effect limited to folks logging onto "A"?

 

Nope.  Only works for the computer you are on.  To change R/W for everyone connecting to unraid you would have to change the settings on the "Shares" page. ^{See below.}

 

Note:  What leonowski is doing gives him "per disk" read/write control on one client only.  Right now that is the only way to get "per disk" control as the unRAID software currently has only one setting for all drives. 

[leonowski]

Yes - this setting affects share level permissions published by the sharing server.  All computers who attempt to connect to the share are bound by the permissions.

 

Hypyke, you are incorrect.

[hypyke]

REALLY??? 

 

But how is that possible?  Are people going THROUGH computer A to get to the unRAID box?

 

Or is this a feature of Samba?  If so I had no idea that windows could control Samba permissions.  And if that is the case what prevents others from changing them back? 

 

Anyway, I stand corrected. 

[leonowski]

The ability to change a Windows share permissions remotely usually only works with native Windows shares.  I too was suprised that Samba allowed this.  It is probably due to the lack of security (local or domain in the Windows world) on the unRAID server.

 

All of my NAS devices at the office are configured in a way that prevents this from happening.  You are correct in assuming that ANY one on your network can make this change easily to the unRAID server.

 

Fortunately, I am the only user on my home network so the lack of security and ease of use of unRAID is a "feature" to me.  Now that I can set a share to read only, I can prevent myself from accidentally deleting something important.

 

In fact, you could probably take this a step further and use this with symbolic links.  Create the symbolic links (see the post on "One Share name for all disks") and set every disk to "read only" on the share permissions except for one disk.  The one disk that allows writing is where the root of all of your symbolic links can reside.  So, you can use the share path with the sym links to do reads and writes.  The direct paths are for just reads.  Then, all of the client machines can be configured to only use the share paths that are set to "read only."

[BillK]

Wow....I'm as surprised as hypyke. 

 

I asked the question because I was concerned someone setting up a unRAID system would log onto Computer "A", set the permissions on a particular share as read-only per your instructions, only to be rudely surprised when their spouse/child/etc. logged onto another machine (i.e., Computer "B") and overwrote and/or deleted one or more files on that share (i.e., your procedure would prevent someone from accidentally deleting their own files, but wouldn't work with a multi-user LAN).

 

Thanks leonowski....I'm going to give this a try.

[Joe L.]

Be aware that the permissions will probably not survive a reboot of the unRaid server.

 

I would be very happy to be proved wrong on this and have the permissions be persistant, but since I can't see where they would be stored except in memory on the unRaid server, I think they are temporary until the next reboot.

 

Might want to give that a try and confirm.  If you are on a UPS it might not be too bad, but any permissions you set will probably be in effect only until you power cycle the unRaid server... then the drives will revert to writable as before.

 

Joe L.