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How do you change file permissions is nobody is the owner?

Julian

Tue Nov 29, 2011 12:07:26 am

I am transferring files from one computer to another and placing them in the public folder on Zorin OS 5. When I use the Zorin OS 5 system, I can play the files and copy them, but I cannot move them, rename them, or delete them. It says I do not have permission. I click on the permissions and it lists the owner as nobody. Because of that, I cannot change the permissions either. However, I can login from another computer, access the public folder, and delete files.

Wolfman

Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:27:44 pm

Hi Julian,

I would try copying them again from where ever you got them from and check the permissions before you start to copy!!.

Regards Wolfman :D

Julian

Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:55:29 pm

The files are on an external HD. They were put there from a Windows machine. The HD only plays well with the Ubuntu machine (the HD is failing). I am copying the filed using the Ubuntu machine to the Zorin machine. When I view the permissions on the external HD, is lists me as the owner. Not sure why it is disappearing when it gets copied.

When I try to change the file permissions while it is still on the external HD, it won't let me. Nor can I change the permissions once they have been copied.

Wolfman

Tue Nov 29, 2011 6:54:06 pm

Set the permissions in your Ubuntu system to can read and write for where it says "File Access", as long as you are the owner, there shouldn't be a problem.

Did you originally copy the files as "root".?? If you did, you are most likely screwed unless you sudo to Nautilus!!.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FilePermissions

Regards Wolfman :D

Obsidian1723

Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:09:47 am

Julian wrote:I am transferring files from one computer to another and placing them in the public folder on Zorin OS 5. When I use the Zorin OS 5 system, I can play the files and copy them, but I cannot move them, rename them, or delete them. It says I do not have permission. I click on the permissions and it lists the owner as nobody. Because of that, I cannot change the permissions either. However, I can login from another computer, access the public folder, and delete files.


Open the gnome-terminal up
df -hT

Mine looks like this:

dfron@anubis:~$ df -hT
Filesystem Type Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 ext4 450G 405G 23G 95% /
none devtmpfs 1.5G 280K 1.5G 1% /dev
none tmpfs 1.5G 8.9M 1.5G 1% /dev/shm
none tmpfs 1.5G 392K 1.5G 1% /var/run
none tmpfs 1.5G 0 1.5G 0% /var/lock
none tmpfs 1.5G 0 1.5G 0% /lib/init/rw
/dev/sdb1 ext4 76G 180M 72G 1% /media/sdb1
ron@anubis:~$


Now cd /media/***
(*** = sdb1 in my case, so cd /meda/sdb1)

Now I'm on my external hard drive as you can see below:

ron@anubis:/media/sdb1$

Now.. ls -al

drwxrwxrwx 4 root root 12K 2011-11-11 23:38 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4.0K 2011-11-29 07:59 ..
drwx------ 2 root root 16K 2011-02-19 00:29 lost+found
drwx------ 5 ron ron 4.0K 2011-02-19 00:51 .Trash-1000


I don't have any files or folders in it yet, but ;et's say I did, simply dow the following:

sudo chown username:username -Rf foldername
or
sudo chown username:username -Rf *a*
(if it has a in the name of it)

for files, sudo chown username:username -Rf *.fileextention like this:
sudo chown username:username -Rf *.mp3

Now you have ownership.

Now change permissions like so:

sudo chmod ABC -Rf foldername
sudo chmod -f ABC filename or *.fileextension

ABC = octal permissions
A = You, the user
B = Group
C = everyone else

4 = Read r
2 = Write w
1 = Execute x

so 4 (r) + 2 (w) + 1 (x) = 7 or rwx
4 (r) + 1 (x) = 5

So if you want all permissions, rwx, then A becomes 7 and if you want group t o have read/write (rw), then B = 5, and the same gor Others, rw or C = 5

So sudo chmod 755 -Rf foldername
OR
sudo chmod 755 -f *.fileextension

Julian

Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:58:34 pm

Ok thanks. This will be helpful for any future file transfers. Just wish there was an easier way.