How do you set directory permissions in NSIS?

StackOverflow https://stackoverflow.com/questions/116876

Question

I'm trying to build a Windows installer using Nullsoft Install System that requires installation by an Administrator. The installer makes a "logs" directory. Since regular users can run this application, that directory needs to be writable by regular users. How do I specify that all users should have permission to have write access to that directory in the NSIS script language?

I admit that this sounds a like a sort of bad idea, but the application is just an internal app used by only a few people on a private network. I just need the log files saved so that I can see why the app is broken if something bad happens. The users can't be made administrator.

Was it helpful?

Solution

Use the AccessControl plugin and then add this to the script, where the "logs" directory is in the install directory.

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "$INSTDIR\logs" "(BU)" "FullAccess"

That gives full access to the folder for all users.

OTHER TIPS

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "<folder>" "(BU)" "FullAccess" didn't work for me on a Windows Server 2008 machine. Instead I had to use this one:

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "<folder>" "(S-1-5-32-545)" "FullAccess"

S-1-5-32-545 is equivalente to "Users" according to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q243330

Instead of changing the permissions on directories under Program Files, why not put the logs in a location that is writeable by all users.

See the 4.9.7.7 SetShellVarContext section in your NSIS documentation. You can use it with $APPDATA to get the application data folder that is writeable for all users.

It's an old issue now but as suggested by Sören APPDATA directory is a nice way to do what you want, the thing is : Don't take user's personnal APPDATA but the "All Users" APPDATA dir! This way anyone will be able to access the log file ;-)

Also, I read somewhere that using (BU) on the GrantOnFile is not working well with some systems (Win 7 x64 if I remember well), maybe you should use the SID "(S-1-5-32-545)" instead (it's the All Users' SID, this value is a constant on each Windows OS)

One way: call the shell, and use cacls or xcacls.

Why not create a log-directory in the user's %APPDATA% directory? Do you really need to put all the logs in the install directory? Why?

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