Hi

My problem is that my Linux machine (Mandrake 9.1) is been used by my entire family. When somebody wants to let somebody else use a file that person has to go and change the file access rights. It's OK for me, but my parents find it too complicated. I want to create a directory which lets anybody open a any document inside it like the Shared Documents folder in Windows XP. Is there any simple way to create a directory and specify the default behavior so that any document inside it could be accessed by anybody without explicitely changing the access rights on individual files?

Thanks

Do these things as root.

Create a directory on your /home call it share. ( mkdir /home/share )

Now create a group call it family. ( addgroup family )

Change the share directories group to family. ( chgrp family share )

change the permissions on the directory so every family can read/write to it. ( chmod g+rw /home/share )

If you want executables from their as well add x to the options. Now everyone can read or write to the directory as if it was their own. The files when copied there will automatically become members of the family group. Though they will keep their current permissions. ( so if their set for no group reading then the group can't read them. which is rare for files you create. ) Changing them to be writeable is a bit more work.

I have this setup, so the family can share files, but usually can't delete them. very handy for my mp3 and ogg files.