help me change permissions

[inflamesgod]

Hi, I am not much help, but I am wondering if someone can help me. I am kinda new to the linux world, but I have been working for about 6 months for a webhosting company that uses unix based servers. So I understand most of the terminology.

Basically, I have an Acer Aspire One running on Linpus Lite (which I use to practice, before getting a better performing Linux device). As of late I've been trying to change basic things like the home or desktop area.

However to change icons, I need to change directory files, so basically the one for anything requiring internet is called Connect, and the file referring to it is Connect.Directory. When I use

sudo mousepad /usr/share/desktop-directories/Connect.desktop

it opens a blank file, and when I follow the folders to the file, I am able to read, but not can't save my modifications to the text. So i've tried

chmod ug+rw /usr/share/desktop-directories/

but nothing seems to happen.

Can anyone help me change permissions on not only this folder, but others as well?

[hunter_thom]

Who owns that directory? Try:

$ ls -ld /usr/share/desktop-directories/

My guess is the directory is owned by someone else, when you set the permission bits in chmod, you did not specify other users. So, if you are not the owner or apart of the group, that +rw does not change your permissions.

[inflamesgod]

Yeah, I should of specified the file is owned by the root, basically it's one of the default files that come with the OS and since the Aspire One uses Linpus Lite, there is not much you can do to change it unless you change permissions. I know the folder is owned by the root, not the user, I am wondering if there is still a way to change the permissions.

[hunter_thom]

Sure you can. Do you just want to grant access to yourself? If so, add yourself to the group owning the directory, or use chgrp to change the group who owns that directory.

Alternately, you can simply do 'chmod o+rw /usr/share/desktop-directories/' but that would effectively give the world read/write to that directory.

[rical]

Solution 1: Own the file

sudo chown `whoami` <filename>
sudo chmod u+rw

Solution 2: Make yourself member of group

sudo adduser `whoami` <groupname>
sudo chmod g+rw <filename>

Solution 3: Give others rw rights

sudo chmod o+rw <filename>

Obv. some of this solutions might pose a security risk, thats up to you to determine.

Hope this helps.