Hi

We're running Samba on a Suse Prof 9.3 server. We have a voicelog system that saves all calls as mp3 files. The users are all using Windows machines with the Samba drive on the server mapped. (had to do this to get the software to save the files on the server and this is 3rd party software and not our own). The software that records the calls allows you to edit the information about the call, for example "Called Sam for a quotation on aircons". Now, the users are allowed to write to the mapped drive, read it (for playback) and edit the info about calls. And at this stage they can delete calls, either via the software or via Windows explorer on the mapped drive.

I would like to know is there a way that I can prevent them from deleting the files, but still be able to edit and read them?

I don't think so. Write access would imply the ability to delete (what's the real difference between removing all the text in a text file or deleting the file?). You could set up read-only and execute rights though.

As far as I know deleting or editing a file involves unlink and write syscalls. If you're allowed write then you can write whatever. Server filesystem extended attributes are honoured, but useless for files yet to be created. Easiest way I can think of would be to separate writes and edits by chowning the file to a group with read but w/o write rights and make users add a text file with comments. Then you can write in the comments using "mp3info" as another user.

Thing is, the files are written as mp3 files, and those of you familiar with winamp or some other media player will now that you can add attributes like artist and song title and that kind of stuff to it, but most of the software don't allow you do alter the audio. The same with the 3rd party software we are using, you can alter the attributes of the files, but not the audio itself. So it is not like a text file where you can delete all the text, which will not be different from deleting the whole file.

As for creating different groups or users, the 3rd party software has it's own interface allowing edits to the files and allowing delete. It would not be possible for me to distinguish between the user editing and the user deleting. I think the easiest would be to contact the 3rd party software vendors and ask them to limit the rights.

Another solution would be to get some kind of backup program/code to backup all the files on the server to another directory, with changes and new files being written to the destination, but without deleting files that is in the destination folder, but not in the source folder. SyncBack is a freeware Windows app that allows you to do this, is there a linux app like this? Or is there code that I can use to do this? Like copy or something?