Java installed fine, LimeWire installed fine... Now, when starting LimeWire it starts by asking for "Save" directory. But I get the error "LimeWire was unable to use the specified directory for saving files" This is THEIR default Save directory. Is this due to permissions ? or ?

I'm using Mandrake 9.1

Same here with SuSe 8.1.
No directory works, including ~.

Only works as root in KDE

Tom

To those having the same problems with download destination directory error:

I installed LimeWire under /opt/LimeWire and had that same error during the first-time configuration process...I believe the problem has something to do with permissions, so I installed it to my home directory under /home/<username>/LimeWire... everthing worked out fine. Sort of an easy fix, but not great if any other users would like to have access to the program.

I'm sure it has something to do with what your group permissions are, but I am not sure what 'group' to add myself and/or other users to in order for everyone to have access.

Not sure it that helps, but I'm sure it will give clues as to what the problem is for users who are more experienced with Linux.

Hope I helped, even in the slightest.

UPDATE!!!!

TO EVERYONE WHO'S HAVING THIS GOOFY PROBLEM!

i've been having this problem (see original post below), and i figured out an interesting way around it...(five minutes after my original post...haha)

i chose a folder inside the LimeWire folder...just goofing off, i hit "browse" and selected the Incomplete folder that it had already created, and it worked! woohoo!

of course, i didn't want that as my shared folder, so i went back, chose /home/username/LimeWire/Shared as my shared folder...and blammo...everything's cool.

i'm a linux newbie, so i dont' know why this is....but i would definately like to know, if anyone can explain it to me!

thanks in advance,
juztin.

====================================

i've installed twice now....

the first time was under root, and everythign worked fine...that is, as long as i was logged in as root. upon logging in as my username, i got the setup options again, and the ''unable to use the specified directory'' problem. it didn't matter what directory i picked, i couldn't use it. i even tried to chmod 777 the default directory, as well as several new ones i created myself...and no go.

so i uninstalled, including deleting the hidden .LimeWire folder. i then reinstalled using my regular login name....it installed fine, but i got the same ''unable to use the specified directory message'', no matter what folder i use. i even installed it to my home directory (it was /home/username/LimeWire/).

any help on this would be greatly appreciated, as i'd rather not log in as root every time i'd like to use this great software. thanks!

-justin moody-
justingmoody@yahoo.com

It is a newbie problem. I will explain.
Linux is a secure operating system with read and write access dictated based on user and groups access rights. Java is a object-oriented programming language that consists of applets and classes. Applets are java programs ran through a web page using an internet browser while a class is ran from command line. Java was created to allow for advanced functionality through the internet without sacrificing security. Two things java and linux have in common is security. Now, Java can do no more then what you allow it to do on your system. It can not change access rights, or anything that you haven't given it permission to do. The reason it can write as the user invoking the program under only the user's directory is because that user has full read and write access to that directory. If you want any user to write to Limewire's installed directory, you will have to change the access rights to limewire's directory and any shared folder's that you want to share and modify. Example:

user=noob
home directory for noob=/home/noob
LimeWire installed directory=/home/noob/LimeWire
LimeWire default shared directory=/home/noob/LimeWire/Shared

$ ls -l /home/noob

dxrw xrw xr- noob users LimeWire

The limewire installation in this case was installed by user "noob" whom is part of group "users". In the case of this installation it is a safe assumption that all users created on this system will be added to group "users". Based off this valid and very important piece of information, we are able to set the access rights to limewire for all users, since we installed limewire as root or another user.

Let us say we moved LimeWire to a default (shared) directory for all users to use (/opt/shared/LimeWire). Example:

$ su root
$ password:
# mv /home/noob/LimeWire /opt/shared/

# ls -l /opt/shared

dxrw xrw xr- root root LimeWire

The access to read and write is expressly given to the user and group root only. We will have to change that.

# chown -R noob.users /opt/shared/LimeWire

# ls -l /opt/shared

dxrw xrw xr- noob users LimeWire

I changed the user rights to noob as I am never comfortable with a program running with privileged root access and it is highly unneccessary.

Since I know Mandrake and Red Hat creates a special group that reflects the exact name of the user. Example:

# ls /home/noob

dxrw xrw xr- noob noob LimeWire

You will have to create a group and add all your users to it and give it group access rights to LimeWire's directory and shared directories where ever you specificied and/or moved them. Example:

# groupadd users

Next you will have to add users to group "users" but first you will have to know what all groups user noob is a member. Example:

# groups noob

noob audio video wheel portage

noob is not part of our newly created
"users" group. We will have to add noob. Example:

# usermod -G noob,audio,video,wheel,portage,users noob

*Note* There should be no spaces between the names of each group. There is a space after the last group entry and before the name of the user that we are modifying *End Note*

Do this for each user on your system that you would like to have access to your limewire installation, shared directories, and files.

HTH

P.S. Do not type "$" or "#" as those are normally the characters you will see in a bash shell prompt.
altoine

P.P.S. You more than likely will have to run the chown command again if you specified the "users" group before it existed.

P.P.P.S. You can change "users" to any unique group name that doesn't already exist on your system.

nDiScReEt,

thank you for the great explanation...maybe you should write a n00b tutorial ....that really helped me a lot understanding groups and permissions (something i was a little tangled on before)...

one question though...

>I changed the user rights to noob as I am never >comfortable with a program running with >privileged root access and it is highly >unneccessary.

a lot of different forums and sites i've been to have stated that using the root account often, and having programs running with root access is dangerous....i just don't get how this could be. i know i'm gonna sound like a COMPLETE newbie saying this (but that's what i am, hehe), but i feel most comfortable using the root account, because i can get the most done...in fact, i find myself switching back to the root account all the time so i can accomplish things. when people say that staying logged in as your root account is dangerous, does this apply to people who are using a computer that they are the only ones who have access to? i am the only one that uses my computer, it's a home PC...is it still dangerous for me to run the root account all the time?

thanks again...
juztin

The danger isn't minimalized because you are the exclusive and solo user on your system, that only compounds your risk. I can break down the risk in two scenario situations: Mistakes and "Uninvited Guests" (crackers).

In the first instance, you might delete something that is critical or highly important but you can't recover it like accidentally deleting system files and directories. A good example is the two following:

rm -fr ./

or

rm -fr /

In either case you have commited the worst mistake when your finger accidentally tapped the "Enter" key. You have deleted every file and directory on your system. You have commited seppuku in standard old samurai tradition. (Is there a hint that I have seen the movie "The Last Samurai"?

The second case, users whom "accidentally" type in their "root" password when trying to access an ftp account or webmail account. Or simply loggin in daily to your system as root will give a patient hacker the oppurtunity to achieve root access to your system where as it wouldn't have been as easy with a regular user logged in, because the hacker would have to "escalate" his access. Escalate meaning that they would have to reach a higher level of access then a regular user. Preferably and usually root. In other words, whatever access you have, they will have. Another way that a hacker can access your system while you are logged in as root for regular desktop functions is through your browser. They can make a server-side script, cookie, and/or combination of the two to gain access to your system. In this case you have given your enemies the sword to cut your head off.

Good URLs to learn howto get "spun up" on Mandrake is http://www.mandrakeuser.org and http://www.tldp.org/docs.html.

HTH
altoine