I feel like I hate permissions on linux. Even though I know how important they are. It seems they should be super easy to understand… Is “user” able to access, if so. What are they able to do with the access. Etc Etc. But for some reason, I always have issues with them. For things like radarr, sonarr etc etc. I feel like I make one step forward and give them the correct permissions but then the process fails due to permissions problems lol.
This is just a rant. Am I the only one that had/has troubles with permission when just learning linux?
In the end I finally figured it out, which is a huge win for me. But I just feel like I shouldn’t struggle with this as much as I do. Are they really this difficult to understand and implement? Let me know if anybody has any tips with how they learned things like this. I’d love to know that I am not alone in this lol. It makes me feel ignorant when I think I’ve set something up correctly and I haven’t.
I guess the title is wrong. It’s not “I hate ubuntu permissions”. Its " I hate that I am a slow learner" lol
Understanding the meaning of the permissions is easy.
The problem arises when programs created by someone else make use of other UIDs and GIDs without properly documenting it.
random note, its not “Ubuntu” permissions, but, rather, “Linux” permissions.
Same permission system that your phone uses too. Even iPhone, has the same underlying permission system.
Once, it “clicks” though, they are extremely simple.
Not sure if still a thing but this has happened to me multiple times over the years:
- Format USB-thumbdrive with Gparted
- Try to copy some files on it.
- It doesn’t work.
- ???
- After some testing it turns out thumbdrive is owned by admin normal users (me) aren’t allowed to write on it.
- ??? -Chmod/Chown thumbdrive via console, wait for year of Linux desktop. 🤷♀️
Does anyone have any simple recommendations on permissions for directories related to docker?
My structure is something like:
/home/user/docker/jellyfin/
/home/user/docker/qbittorrent/For docker containers
And then /media/TV etc. What kind of permissions should I be giving these directory structures? I’m usually just lazy and give it all 775 or 777 despite knowing that this is awful.
There is definitely a learning curve to Linux. Like most things in IT, it’s easy if you know how. Knowing how is the hard part. Bang your head against it long enough, you’ll get it.
I love permissions on linux rather than permissions on windows
Permissions are a great example of they’re impossible until they’re easy.
The reason you’re seeing people say they’re easy is because they get permissions. They mindset where linux permissions has clicked for them, and once that happens it actually becomes difficult to remember why things are hard.
The secret is, that’s basically everything in this hobby/field. I’ve spent months trying to understand things that are now trivial to me.
The best thing I can say is Google, talk to friends, play around with them–not just ‘this container’ but make your own user (or many users), try and do things, and/remove permissions until it changes. Make predictions as you do this and see ahat you can understand and what’s still confusing you. Others have recommended chatGPT, and that’s fine too as a source to hopefully give you insight–much like a random blog explaining permissions.
Best of luck, the only thing I can say is don’t give up for good but definitely don’t worry about giving up for the weekend to give yourself a break! You’ll get there and one day it’ll be easy.
I kind of understand basic permissions but when ACLs (multiple users/groups) come into play I am kind of lost. One day I hope to grasp ACLs as I did with basic permissions :D
And it is a VERY simple model. But if you come from windown, it might seem hard and cumbersome.
Spend some time making sure you understand it, and you’ll save youself a bunch of issues in the future.
To be fair the windows model is more or less “Yes mr ransomware developer, you can do whatever you want”
“You need admin privileges to d”- Ok sure.
