I need to change files’ permissions on my Mac (for future uploading them to iPhone). How can I use chown mobile:mobile command on Mac? root:wheel works fine, but it seems that Mac can’t change permissions to mobile:mobile. Is there a way to do it? It’s very important - I must do it on my Mac.

Originally Posted by Davvido

I need to change files’ permissions on my Mac (for future uploading them to iPhone). How can I use chown mobile:mobile command on Mac? root:wheel works fine, but it seems that Mac can’t change permissions to mobile:mobile. Is there a way to do it? It’s very important - I must do it on my Mac.

Don't think you understand unix file permissions basics.

What you are asking is essentially not very possible. How do you plan on transferring the files *with* permissions to the iPhone?

DiskAid transfers files with their permissions to iPhone. I’ve just transferred file with root:wheel permissions and everything is fine. Now I need to transfer some files with mobile:mobile permissions, but I don’t know how to set it.

And of course there are many other ways - uploading in tar/zip, packed in deb, etc.

Originally Posted by Davvido

DiskAid does it really good. I’ve just transferred file with root:wheel permissions and everything is fine. Now I need to transfer some files with mobile:mobile permissions, but I don’t know how to set them.

I don't believe that AFC2 (the protocol used by DiskAid) can set ownership or permissions.

You can:

1. SSH into the iPhone and use chmod or chown
2. Build a DEB package to do what you want and use Cydia's autoinstall function to install the package for you on the next restart
3. Build an iPhone backup that just contains this one file (with the correct signatures/hashes and permissions) then restore this to the iPhone.

Realistically, only the first option is practical for you

I don’t have Cydia, I don’t have SSH - I need to set permissions on my Mac and then copy files to iPhone. DiskAid doesn’t change permissions - they stay the same after transferring if I replace a file. Just want to know how to set mobile:mobile on Mac. And yes - iPhone IS JAILBROKEN. Don’t make a fool of me. I’m not a newbie. Anyway - big thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by Davvido

I don’t have Cydia, I don’t have SSH - I need to set permissions on my Mac and then copy files to iPhone. DiskAid doesn’t change permissions - they stay the same after transferring if I replace a file. Just want to know how to set mobile:mobile on Mac. And yes - iPhone IS JAILBROKEN. Don’t make a fool of me. I’m not a newbie. Anyway - big thanks for the reply.

Why don't you have Cydia? Do you have mobileterminal installed?

I really don't think what you want is possible. (the way you want to do it)

IT IS possible. I’ve transferred file with root:wheel permissions and these permissions stay untouched after transfer. I’ve tried it with system files, which means that bad permissions = stay on bootscreen. But my iPhone has booted up without any problems. So I need one advice: how to set mobile:mobile permissions on Mac. The rest is my own problem.

Originally Posted by Davvido

IT IS possible. I’ve transferred file with root:wheel permissions and these permissions stay untouched after transfer. I’ve tried it with system files, which means that bad permissions = stay on bootscreen. But my iPhone has booted up without any problems. So I need one advice: how to set mobile:mobile permissions on Mac. The rest is my own problem.

Firstly: root:wheel refers to ownership (user:group) not permissions
The permissions are written something like this: rw-r-r

Secondly, you're on a mac - it being a unix based OS has a root account and a wheel group. This is why you can chown root:wheel on your mac.

There is no mobile account or mobile group on your mac. That is why the chown command fails.

Thirdly, I think you misunderstand the way the afcd service works.

running:
ps -jA | grep afcd | grep root

gives:

Code:

root       212     1   212 c3501270    0 S      ??    0:04.80 /usr/libexec/afcd --lockdown -d /

running

ps -jA | grep afcd | grep mobile
gives:

Code:

mobile     202     1   202 c1f7f618    0 S      ??    0:00.82 /usr/libexec/afcd --lockdown -d /var/mobile/Media -u mobile
mobile     204     1   204 c1f7f3a8    0 S      ??    0:00.01 /usr/libexec/afcd --lockdown -d /var/mobile/Media -u mobile

What this means is you can connect to afcd for the entire iPhone filesystem and any file you copy is copied as user root.

This is why you *think* it is preserving file/group ownership, when it actuality the afcd service runs as root (which is what DiskAid uses to send files to the iPhone)


Or you can connect to just the /var/mobile/Media sub-area of the filesystem and any file you copy is copied as user mobile (this is how iTunes connects to the iPhone, even for non jailbroken iPhones)

DiskAid actually allows you to choose between the two, in the lower left hand part of the DiskAid window.

Still no way to set "permissions" they are taken from the default umask. However what I have explained partly solves the "ownership" problem.