Administrator’s Guide

Administering FileMaker Server 41
Keep these points in mind:
1 Any subfolders containing databases, backups, script files, or plug-
ins must also be readable, writable, and executable by the fmsadmin
group.
1 If the administrator changes the default backup location, or
specifies a different backup location, the folder must be writable by
the group fmsadmin , or backups will fail.
1 Your shell script will be executed with the fmserver user id and
fmsadmin group id. Therefore, you cannot call some privileged
commands from your scripts. For example, your script will not have
access to delete the
/etc folder. Therefore, it is recommended that
you enable some form of logging for your script to be able to
troubleshoot possible permissions issues. Refer to the Apple web site
for information on creating log files in UNIX.
Setting FileMaker Server file permissions in Mac OS
By default, only the user account that installed FileMaker Server in
Mac
OS can manually operate FileMaker Server from the command
line, add or remove files in the FileMaker Server folder, and access
any of the FileMaker
Pro databases stored within the FileMaker
Server default databases and database backup folders. All users,
however, can access the FileMaker Server Admin application.
Other user accounts and database files can be manually added to the
fmsadmin group using the Mac
OS NetInfo Manager or Terminal
application. This task must be performed by a user with
administrative privileges.
Note If you’re using Mac OS X Server, you can use the Workgroup
Manager administration tool to add users to the fmsadmin group.
Adding a user to the fmsadmin group using the NetInfo Manager
application
To add an existing user of the system to the fmsadmin group after
installation, do the following:
1. Launch the NetInfo Manager application ([hard disk]/
Applications/Utilities/NetInfo Manager).
2. Select groups in the second column (labeled “/”).
3. Select fmsadmin in the groups column.
4. Select users in the properties pane, located in the bottom half of
the NetInfo Manager window.
5. Click the lock button at the bottom of the window and enter an
administrative password.
6. Choose Directories menu > Insert Value.
7. Enter the login account name of the user you are adding.
8. To save changes, choose Domain menu > Save Changes.
9. Click Update this copy to confirm your changes.
10. Choose NetInfo Manager menu > Quit NetInfo Manager.
Important You must have an account with administrative privileges
to add an account to this group. Caution should be taken when
making changes with NetInfo Manager. See the Apple support web
site for more information about UNIX permissions.
Changing file permissions for database files hosted by FileMaker
Server
In Mac OS, all database files hosted by FileMaker Server 7 must
belong to the
fmsadmin group and have read and write access
enabled.
Note You must have a password with administrator privileges to
change file permissions.
Library/FileMaker Server 7/
Data/Databases/AutoUpdate/
Location for plug-ins
to be updated using
the AutoUpdate
Plugins feature. For
more information see
the document,
FileMaker Guide to
Updating Plug-ins.
It is important that any
plug-ins placed in the
AutoUpdate folder or
subfolders are owned by
the fmsadmin group and
are group readable.
Folder Purpose Notes