Re: Permissions in an app bundle

FROM : Andrew Farmer
DATE : Wed Jul 05 11:54:43 2006

On 05 Jul 06, at 02:42, Nir Soffer wrote:
> I pack a directory structure in my app bundle, which used to create 
> new "documents" by copying the a template directory and adding 
> content. I prefer to have the directory in the bundle and not in 
> application support folder, to allow drag and drop install.
>
> Xcode is chmoding the app bundle using a-w, which make my new 
> documents not writable by the user.


This is correct behavior. (Although you probably mean "go-w" - XCode 
doesn't appear to apply u-w.) Application bundles should never be 
writable, anywhere.

> I wonder if this solution is good enough, or I should instead 
> change the permissions after copying the template, which require 
> little more code. For example,  enumerate the new document 
> directory and change the permission for all files using absolute 
> modes (e.g. 0755). It seems really too much work compared to single 
> chmod o+w call.


That shouldn't be necessary. After the template is copied, it should 
fall under the ownership of the user executing the application.

> Another solution I considered is packing the template in an 
> archive, and unpacking the archive instead of the copying. Is there 
> an easier way to unpack an archive than using tar in a sub process?


Not really. Tar is an ancient and crufty format; the expander is 
rather more complicated than you probably want to write code for. 
That is, in general, an equally reasonable solution, though.