Swift Share
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Contents |
Enabling File Sharing
Swift Share allows you to manage server and share settings without actively running a file server. However, for clients to connect and use shares, one must enable file sharing.
Mac OS X offers two types of file sharing: Apple Personal File Sharing and Windows File Sharing through Samba. Depending on the type of clients and shares you plan to have, you may need to enable both. As Samba shares can also be accessed on Macintosh systems. Please read about the dangers of using a Samba share for Macintosh files.
Enabling Apple Personal File Sharing
- Choose "System Preferences" from the Apple menu.
- Click the Sharing icon.
- Ensure "File Sharing" is checked.
- Click "Options"
- Ensure "Share files and folders using AFP" is checked.
Enabling Windows File Sharing through Samba
- Choose "System Preferences" from the Apple menu.
- Click the Sharing icon.
- Ensure "File Sharing" is checked.
- Click "Options"
- Ensure "Share files and folders using SMB (Windows)" is checked.
- Place a checkmark next to the user accounts that will be allowed to connect to this computer.
Share points are folders on your computer that can be accessed across your local network. It is possible to assign special privileges to each share, and only give certain users and groups access.
- Click the Share Points tab on the toolbar of the main window.
- Click the add button (+) at the bottom of the list of shares.
- Choose a folder to share.
- Modify options as desired.
- Click Save.
After the share is created, the file server(s) are restarted if necessary. Clients can then connect and view this share. It may sometimes be necessary for clients to disconnect and reconnect to the server before changes will take effect.
If the file servers were off during share creation, they will not be automatically started. Please see the Sharing panel of the System Preferences application (under the Apple menu) to enable Macintosh Personal File Sharing or Windows File Sharing.
1 For Macintosh shares, colons may not be used in the share name. For Windows shares the following characters may not be used: " / \ [ ] : ; = , .
2 Only Mac formatted volumes may be shared through Macintosh file sharing; however, the same is not true for Windows file sharing. Additionally, if sharing Mac files through Windows File Sharing, any resource forks will not make it through the server. Primarily, this means Macintosh applications copied through Windows File Sharing will be damaged on the receiving end.
Shares can be modified and removed at any time after creation. When a share is removed, it is taken out of scope from the server. While users will no longer be able to access the share on the network, the files will remain on this computer.
- Click the Share Points tab on the toolbar of the main window.
- Highlight one of the shares in the share list.
- Press the delete (-) button below the share list.
- Confirm the removal.
After the share is deleted, the file server(s) are restarted if necessary. Clients can no longer connect and view this share. It may sometimes be necessary for clients to disconnect and reconnect to the server before changes will take effect.
If the file servers were off during share creation, they will not be automatically started. Please see the Sharing panel of the System Preferences application (under the Apple menu) to enable Macintosh Personal File Sharing or Windows File Sharing.
Enabling Guest Access
Server guest access and share guest access are two completely separate things. Server guest access allows users to connect to the server, while share guest access allows the user to access shares on the server if they were able to connect. Both of these must be properly enabled to allow guest connections.
- Click the Share Points tab on the toolbar of the main window.
- Highlight the share you wish to enable for guest access.
- Ensure all of the "Guest Access" checkboxes are checked.
- Ensure the read and execute security checkboxes are enabled for "Everyone".
- Click the "Save" button.
Enabling for Macintosh File Sharing
- Click the "Macintosh Sharing Setup" tab on the toolbar of the main window.
- Ensure the "Allow Guest Access" checkbox is checked.
- Click the "Apply" button.
Enabling for Windows Sharing
- Click the "Windows File Sharing Setup" tab on the toolbar of the main window.
- Check "Allow guest access"
- Click the "Apply" button.
The Security group of controls for each share specify specific restrictions for users accessing the share point. Read access permits users to only view and open files. Write access allows users to rename and delete files. Execute allows the user to open or search the item if it is a folder, or launch it if it is an application.
The owner of the folder should have the highest level permissions, generally all Read, Write, and Execute. The group is a list of users who all have the same access rights specified. Lastly, "everyone" refers to all other users, including guests.
Naturally, all files on your Macintosh drive have permissions like the ones you see here. In order to have these settings apply to all files and folders within this share, open the Get Info window in the Finder and expand the Permissions pane. Then, click the cog and choose 'Apply to enclosed items.' If this is not done, the connecting user may be unable to access some files or folders within this share due to individual permissions.
Apple File Sharing Server Configuration
The Apple File Sharing Setup section on the main toolbar contains numerous detailed server configuration options. For more information on each of these options, see the following documentation:
Mac OS X 10.5 (pages 142 to 145) http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/command_line_admin_v10.5.pdf
Mac OS X 10.6 and later (pages 143 to 147) http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/FileServerAdmin_v10.6.pdf
Windows (Samba) File Sharing Server Configuration
The Windows File Sharing Setup section on the main toolbar contains numerous detailed server configuration options. Roll-over each option with the mouse to have some brief descriptive text appear at the bottom of the screen.
- AclsEnabled: Support access control list permissions
- AllowGuestAccess: Permit guests to connect
- AllowKerberosAuth: Kerberos authentication should be allowed. Currently, this is not implemented (Kerberos is always allowed if configured). This preference is provided for consistency. If you need it implemented please open a Radar
- AllowLanManAuth: Whether (insecure) LanManager authentication should be allowed.
- AllowNTLM2Auth: Whether NTLMv2 authentication should be allowed. Currently, this is not implemented (NTLMv2 is always allowed). If you need it implemented please open a Radar.
- AllowNTLMAuth: NTLMv1 authentication should be allowed.
- DOSCodePage: The name of a DOS code page supported by the SMB server.
- EnabledServices: The default is to enable no services. "disk" means to enable file sharing. "print" means to enable printer sharing. "wins" means to enable the WINS server. Any combination of these values is OK.
- LocalKerberosRealm: The name of the local Kerberos realm. This will generally be of the form LKDC:SHA1.big long hex string
- LoggingLevel: any positive integer, higher numbers mean more logging. For all practical purposes, level 10 means "log everything". Be warned that high logging levels kill performance.
- MaxClients: The implementation of this leaves something to be desired, but the intention is for this to be a limit on the number of client sessions. Default is 10 for Desktop, no limit for Server. Setting a limit of 0 currently means no limit, but this behaviour is not guaranteed - better to remove the key and let it default.
- NetBIOSName: Up to 15 ASCII characters
- PasswordServer: The IPv4 address of a server to use for pass-through authentication. This is a server that you trust enough to authenticate users on your behalf.
- RegisterWINSName: Whether the NetBIOS name of this server should be registered with a WINS server. You also need to set at least one address in WINSServerAddressList
- ServerDescription: Human-readable decription of the server.
- ServerRole: This option defines the role this server is playing in the network.
- SuspendServices: Whether to unconditionally leave all SMB services after configuration. This is a big red button that can be used to turn of all SMB services without otherwise disturbing the configuration.
- VirtualAdminShares: Whether to automatically give authenticated admin users access to all local volumes.
- VirtualHomeShares: Whether to automatically give authenticated users access to their home directory.
As Samba shares can also be accessed on both Macintosh and Windows systems, it is a popular solution for network administrators. However, there is one problem. Many Macintosh applications (and rarely some files) still use what is called a "resource fork". PC file systems cannot handle these resource forks and they will be destroyed if copied to a PC system.
If a Macintosh application with a resource fork is copied through Windows File Sharing, even to a Mac, the resource fork will be destroyed at the destination. The original file, however, will remain in tact. This will often prevent the copied file from working properly.
There are many file types you can assume are safe for transfer through Windows File Sharing, such as images, movies, music, and documents for most major applications.
Feature Requests
- Access control lists (fsaclctl and chmod).
- Automount at Login.
- Automount on schedule and sync.
Known Issues
- Share Public Folder option reverts after updating user.
