Sharing files is extremely confusing to me on how it works!

[colonel179]

I've been messing around with the file sharing settings on my Mac, and it's very confusing!

For instance, the default shared folder is the Public folder. When I access Mac 1 with Mac 2, I still have access to every single file in Mac 1 (Macintosh HD folder, Home Folder). So what is the point of selecting which folders to access?

If I turn off the "Allow full disk access to every user" option, then I cannot access any folders, EVEN THE ONES I AM SHARING!, but somehow ONLY the Public folder it's accessible, even if it's not in the shared list. But if I turn it on, I can access every folder even if it's not on the list! So what's the point? For example: I tried to share an external HDD. If I had the option ON, it didn't matter if it was "shared" I could still access it, but if I had the option OFF, then I still could see it, but I couldn't access it (it said that it cannot display contents for unknown error)

Also, making a folder 'write only' doesn't do anything. I still can access it and I still can open it. There is no way for me to see the folder from Mac 2 and make it work like a dropbox folder, because I can open it, copy, move, etc like any other folder.

Then, about the permissions. You are supposed to connect with the User name and password of the Mac you are trying to access. So in my case I am using Mac 2 to access Mac 1, so I need to put the username and password of Mac 1, but then since I identify as the user, it grants me permission to every folder and I can read, write, copy, delete, everything!. Again, so what's the point of allowing which folders to access?

If I select Access a guest, it doesn't let me.

I am definitely doing something wrong, because I don't understand it. To me, it should work in a way that ONLY the folders that I setup as shared should be visible and that's it. It should be that simple.

Mac 2 is my Dad's, and Mac 1 is mine. I want to be able to share some folders with him, but ONLY those. But when I make tests and connect his Mac to mine, he has access to everything, not the folders I specify in Mac 1.

I read somewhere that the file sharing is for users from the same Mac. If that is the case, then it's useless for people like me that doesn't have more than one person using the Mac?

What I want is:

I want Mac 2 to access just the SPECIFIED folders from Mac 1, preferably only be able to SEE those specified folders.
I want to have 1 folder that is just Write only, so that Mac 2 can drop files there, and I can access those files from Mac 1.
Shouldn't I be able to have "Allow full disk access to every user" and still have access to shared folders?

I appreciate any help. If someone can point me in the direction of a solution, I'd be thankful. I've spent many hours watching Youtube videos and reading stuff on google, but none of them specify specific permissions.


Thank you very much!

 

[Bigwaff]

2019 i9 MBP Sonoma 14.7.5 ... my Settings > File Sharing looks like this... File Sharing is On.

From my 2017 rMB OCLP Sonoma 14.7.5, the MBP appears in the Network in Finder. When I Connect As... using the MBP administrator account, I could see my administrator account home folder and Macintosh HD folder. Clicking in both the home and Macintosh HD folders I could see all the folders inside, however, I could not see any files when I clicked inside any of these folders except for the Public folder. I believe this is the issue you are speaking about.

I turned off File Sharing on the MBP and waited about 5 minutes before turning File Sharing back on... the Settings > File Sharing panel still looked the same as the screenshot above. However, this time, from the rMB, after Connect As... using the MBP administrator account, I could navigate down and see all files in all folders where before no files would display in the list. What I did notice is that when I press Options... button, there are two Accounts with same name in the list. I didn't get a screenshot, but before turning File Sharing off on the MBP, there had been only one Account in the list.

As convention, are you using the same Full Name and Username (used for home folder) on both Macs? In my case, I am.

 

[webbga]

I am not sure what you have viewed yet on YouTube so please excuse me if you hve already gone down this path. I find this guy very helpful and easy to understand. This video will play only on YouTube andconcerns sharing files and folders using iCloud. Good luck with your problem.