How to set the default file permissions for GUI apps in Lion

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I've set my umask in my .bashrc file to 007. Any files created on the command line after loading my bashrc file respects this setting. I want to be able to set the umask to 007 for any files created using non-command line apps.

This document talks about setting the umask via launchd. And it kind of works. If I follow these directions I can change the default permissions on a GUI created file from rw-r--r-- to rw-rw---- but the directories still are not group writeable (i.e. I want them to be rwxrwx--- but they are rwxr-x--- instead)

The analog on Linux would be /etc/login.defs as the place to set the umask.

What do I change in order for the umask to be set properly (i.e. the way I want it)?

Best Answer

I think you have done what you could; the umask really is 077. When programs create files or directories via the mkdir system call, they specify a mode. The file or directory ends up with a mode which is the specified mode, but with any 1 bits from the umask cleared. So in all likelihood, the GUI programs create their directories with a specified mode 755, and if so, there is no change of the umask that will help. (If all GUI programs do this, it is probably because they all use the same library to create the directories they want to exist.)

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How to allow a group to access a folder

Apple hides anything it considers a "system" user or group from the GUI. There's probably some way to disable that, but I generally use the command line for system-related stuff.

The command line version comes in two flavors: there is a basic permissions structure with a single owner, a singe group, and everyone else, then there are POSIX ACLs. Interestingly, Apple took the route of modifying chmod to support ACLs instead of shipping the standard getfacl and setfacl tools.

$ sudo chmod +a 'group:_www allow add_file,add_subdirectory,list,search,delete_child' /webroot

You may also want the file_inherit and directory_inherit permissions to apply the ACL to created files/directories. See chmod(1) for more details.

The -a option to chmod removes ACL entries.

MacOS – How to set file permissions in Lion

The easiest way of setting permission to a file is:

Select the file you want to change permissions to.
Hit Commandi.
In the last part of the information panel, just authenticate and change the permissions as you want them.

This can be achieved, too, through terminal with the chmod command.

Lion does not show the HD by default. In the General tab of the Finder's preferences just check Show this items on Desktop: Hard Drive, and it will be shown. You can also type ShiftCommandC to open a Finder window for the whole drive directly.

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How to allow a group to access a folder

MacOS – How to set file permissions in Lion

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