Sharing is good, and should be easy!

August 29, 2005 11:15 PM

How do I share only certain folders in OS X when I enable Windows Sharing?

I live in an aparment with three other guys, and we want to share our music from all four hard drives to a fifth computer that is downstairs and connected to the surround sound.

How can I tell OS X to only share my Public folder, or my Music folder, or any other folder that I want. The default seems to share my entire Home folder, which is definitely not what I want!

I installed the Sharepoints preference pane today in order to share an external drive, but when I checked the workgroup on my roommate's computer, my Home directory was available! I had to enter my password and such to access it, but even after I disable Windows Sharing in OS X System Preferences, the folder was still available! I could not figure out how to restrict access to the directory after my user name and password had been entered.

What is going on? All I want to do is share my external volume that is attached to my Powerbook with a Windows network, and nothing else. I have sensitive documents in my Home folder, not to mention the security risk of my *entire* Library directory being available on the network.

Any help with customizing the shared folders in OS X or using Sharepoints a little more efficiently would be greatly appreciated!

posted by Third to computers & internet (8 comments total)

I could not figure out how to restrict access to the directory after my user name and password had been entered

I think this is the mistake you're making. If you login then of course it allows access to any of your stuff. If you don't enter your password, your Public folder is available but not anything else.
posted by cillit bang at 12:58 AM on August 30, 2005

I think /etc/smb.conf has a [home] share by default. If you edit that section out, you should be all set. So, something like "sudo vi /etc/smb.conf", your password and then read the instructions and remove the [home] section or change the permissions of that section.
posted by yerfatma at 5:44 AM on August 30, 2005

Create a new user on your mac called guest. Give the guest username and password to that account to your roommates to use. They will have access to mounted volumes, and to the guest home directory, but not to yours.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:57 AM on August 30, 2005

to that account
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:57 AM on August 30, 2005

cillit bang - I know it was a rathrer rash decision to log in with my account name and password, but I thought I was entering that info to access my external volume and not my Home directory.

yerfatma - This seems like a great option, if only I knew how to use vi. Fact is, I have not a clue as to how to work it. Can I somehow open smb.conf in another text editor and work with it from there?

Popular Ethics - That sounds good in principle, but I really just don't want another account on OSX. I'll use that as a last resort.

Thanks for the help guys, and if you have anything to add, please do so!
posted by Third at 4:43 PM on August 30, 2005

yerfatma - That worked. I figured out how to use vi for my purposes (s for insert mode? :w to save?) and deleted the [homes] section. It made my Home folder unavailable but my external volume shared just as it was. Excellent!

Thanks for your help guys!
posted by Third at 7:10 PM on August 30, 2005

Yeah, vi and I have a arm's-length relationship. I use SHIFT + I for Insert mode and SHIFT + R for Replace. :x or :wq for save and quit, :q! for quit without saving.
posted by yerfatma at 7:16 PM on August 30, 2005

If anyone else is reading this and trembles at the thought of vi, there is salvation!

You can install SubEthaEdit (an amazing text editor in its own right) for free, and use the included command line tool.

Instead of "sudo vi /etc/smb.conf" you can now try "sudo see /etc/smb.conf", enter your password, and you are on your way.

SubEthaEdit will probably warn you about the file being read only, but you can choose "Edit Anyway" and edit till your heart is content. Be sure to save, and you are done!
posted by Third at 5:26 PM on August 31, 2005