Help with Permissions

[qwerty3656]

Hello - new to board and Linux. I have basic control of permissions when I am in a terminal/command line (e.g. SUDO...), but I have been struggling in GUI or when I am acting as a user in Windows. The two examples are: 1) In VNCViewer, whenever I try to do anything (e.g. unmount a drive in Disk Utility) it says I don't have permission (I check the box under options that says log in as Admin); and 2) I followed the "Create Users, share drives and folders across the network" tutorial to the letter and created a folder and gave everyone rw access. I can look at that folder from another Windows user account, but when I try to copy a file to that folder, it says I don't have permission.

In either case, I don't have access to a command line to use the SUDO command. Any help/ideas would be appreicated.

Regards;


JIM

[Ian]

Hi Jim and welcome to the forums.

Sorry but I'm a bit confused by what you're saying. When you say "I don't have access to a command line to use the SUDO command." do you mean you are unable to run a terminal and issue sudo commands when you're accessing your server via VNC? Or do you mean you can't run a Putty session from your windows desktop to access your server?

Once I have my head round your exact problem I'm sure I can help you solve it.

Ian.

[qwerty3656]

Well I am a newbie. When I am in vnc (or in windows from another account), I am just accessing drop-down menus and dialog boxes. When I access those drop-down menus and dialog boxes, I don't have the permissions I would expect. If I am running disk utility, I am assuming that I should have the power to do any of the basic things that disk utility's menus provide for - like unmount a drive, or if I accessing a folder on the server from another computer, copy a file to a location that everyone has write access to.

My reference to SUDO probably just confuses the situation. The reason I brought up the SUDO command is that is the only way I know of to get super-user permissions (but I only know how to run it from Putty). SUDO probably isn't relevant to this discussion (because I am not running Putty when I am having this problem).

To re-phrase the question, how do I get super-user permissions in VNC and how do I allow a normal Windows user (from another computer on the network) read and write files to a shared folder on the server. I thought I've already taken the neccessary steps to do each of these (I've followed the guide step by step).

[Ian]

Well I am a newbie. When I am in vnc (or in windows from another account), I am just accessing drop-down menus and dialog boxes. When I access those drop-down menus and dialog boxes, I don't have the permissions I would expect. If I am running disk utility, I am assuming that I should have the power to do any of the basic things that disk utility's menus provide for - like unmount a drive,

When you launch VNC you are prompted for a username and password. You should be using the same username and password you used when you installed Ubuntu on the server. If you are using a different one then, by default, that user does not have sudo privileges.

What version of Ubuntu did you install?

or if I accessing a folder on the server from another computer, copy a file to a location that everyone has write access to.

Have you given "everyone" r/w permission to the folder when in Ubuntu/Putty? Additionally you need to give R/W permissions when you set up the share in samba (In Webmin ensure Writable? is Yes). Did you do both?
When in Putty look at the permissions on the folder which you are sharing via samba. It should be drwxrwxrwx. If it's not then issue the following command to change it:

Code: Select all

sudo chmod o+w thefoldername

Does any of the above help?

Ian

[qwerty3656]

I re-started from scratch. I sign in as the same user I installed ubuntu with. The programs in VNC don't have the permission to do anything. I can run the programs in terminal with the sudo command.

[Ian]

Hi there,

What version of Ubuntu are you running?

Ian.

[qwerty3656]

I am using version 12.04 LTS (64 bit). (the server version you link to in your "Install Ubuntu" article).

I was able to deal with the folder access problem from Windows, but am still do not have the right permissions to do super-user things from tightvnc.

[Ian]

Ah ok, I'm running 10.04. I'll install 12.04 and see if I can replicate your problem.

I'll get back to you

Ian.

[qwerty3656]

OK. I've searched for some more stuff here and I see now that others are having similar problems with VNC and UBUNTU 12.04 (I searched before, but since I thought it was a permissions issue, my searches were permissions related and so these threads didn't show up). As others have said, I can function in VNC, by opening a terminal session and using SUDO. At this point I will chauk it up to a bug and move on.

During this process though, I re-installed UBUNTU several times. I can really see the value of using Virtual Machines to test things out and sticking with a barebones base operating system. My intent is to get to that point ASAP. Can I ask, of the items you list under "Configure the Software" (Putty, VNC, Webmin, LTSP, Snapraid, Email, Monitor Tempuratures, Spin down Drives, Patition Drives, Create Users and Shares, NFS, KVM) which are not installed in your true base UBUNTU system (i.e. just in the Virtual Ubuntu system)?

[Ian]

OK. I've searched for some more stuff here and I see now that others are having similar problems with VNC and UBUNTU 12.04 (I searched before, but since I thought it was a permissions issue, my searches were permissions related and so these threads didn't show up). As others have said, I can function in VNC, by opening a terminal session and using SUDO. At this point I will chauk it up to a bug and move on.

During this process though, I re-installed UBUNTU several times. I can really see the value of using Virtual Machines to test things out and sticking with a barebones base operating system. My intent is to get to that point ASAP. Can I ask, of the items you list under "Configure the Software" (Putty, VNC, Webmin, LTSP, Snapraid, Email, Monitor Tempuratures, Spin down Drives, Patition Drives, Create Users and Shares, NFS, KVM) which are not installed in your true base UBUNTU system (i.e. just in the Virtual Ubuntu system)?

Hi there,

OK, I've installed 12.04 and it is still as "challenging" as it was when I updated those guides.
Hopefully you won't scream at me but why not install 10.04 server? http://releases.ubuntu.com/lucid/ It's FAR more friendly than 12.04 and is supported up to 2015. Hopefully by that time 12.04 will be as polished!

Everything you mention is installed on the base machine. A while back I kept the base install as a barebones and did everything via virtual machines. Then I changed strategy. Now, I use virtual machines to test stuff and once I'm happy it, generally, goes on the host machine.

Ian.