How to Share Files & Directories

WebFiles > Tutorials > How to Share Files & Directories

Summary: All UCI faculty, staff, and graduate students are eligible for WebFiles accounts. By using the sharing functionality, you may grant specific access to individuals with accounts or to the public as a whole.

Types of Sharing

• Share files with other UCI WebFiles individuals or groups.
• Share entire directories with other UCI WebFiles individuals or groups.
• Share files or directories with everyone.
• Share files with specific non-UCI individuals.

Option 1: Share files with other UCI WebFiles individuals.
Sharing your files makes it possible for multiple users to both view and edit your file without requiring you to maintain multiple copies of the shared file.

By default, every item is created with 3 sets of permissions:

• Owner - You are the owner of the items within your own WebFiles account.
• Users with Accounts - These are any other users within the same WebFiles site as you. Users falling into this category must be logged into WebFiles to see the files and directory to which access has been granted. Use this category for making your files and directories available to all users within WebFiles.
• Public - Any user accessing the WebFiles site without an account or those users with WebFiles accounts who have not logged into WebFiles. Use this category for making your files and directories public to the outside world.

1. Login to WebFiles.
2. Navigate to the file you want to share.
3. Click the Share icon.
4. Use the checkboxes to select with whom to share the file, giving them read, write, delete or administer access. We recommend only giving read and/or write access. Choose Users with accounts or the Add User/Group button above to select specific WebFiles users. To do so:
   1. Click the Add User/Group button at the top of the page.
   2. Choose a person or a group with whom you want to share the file from your list of contacts or search for other WebFiles users.
5. Click Apply to set the permissions.
   
   You should see a message stating, "The Permissions for this resource have been changed."

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Option 2: Share a directory with another WebFiles user or group of users.

Sharing directories differs from sharing files. When sharing a directory, you must select a scope for applying permissions. The scope represents how permission settings will be applied to sub-directories and files within this directory. You have 3 choices:

• Apply changed settings to sub-directories and files
  The permissions set will be applied to this directory and any future file and directory created within it.
• Overwrite all permissions on all sub-directories and files
  The permissions set will be applied to all future and currently existing sub-directories and files within this directory.
• Only apply to this directory
  The permissions set will be applied to this directory only. All sub-directories and files created in the future within this directory will be granted permissions based on this directory's Inheritable Permissions.

1. Login to WebFiles.
2. Find the directory you want to share.
3. Click the share icon.
4. Use the checkboxes to select with whom to share the file, giving them read, write, delete or administer access. We recommend only giving read and/or write access. Choose Users with accounts or the Add User/Group button above to select specific WebFiles users. To do so:
   1. Click the Add User/Group button at the top of the page.
   2. Choose a person or a group with whom you want to share the file from your list of contacts or search for other WebFiles users.
5. Choose a scope (see above) for your permissions.
6. Click Apply to set the permissions.
7. You should see a message stating, "The Permissions for this resource have been changed."

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Option 3: Share files or directories with everyone.

You can also share files or directories with non-UCI people or WebFiles users. One way is to share the file or directory with everyone or make it publicly viewable.

1. Login to WebFiles.
2. Navigate to the directory or file you want to share.
3. Click the share icon.
4. Check the Read box for Public.
   If this is a directory, choose a scope (see above) for your permissions.
5. Click Apply to set the permissions.
6. You should see a message stating, "The Permissions for this resource have been changed."

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Option 4: Share files or directories with specific non-UCI individuals.

Tickets allow both non-UCI and WebFiles users access to your files. By using the WebFiles Ticket functionality, you may allow specific access to your files or directories with both an expiration date and password protection.

Tickets are useful in providing temporary access to users without requiring the editing of a file's permissions.

To create a ticket:

1. Login to WebFiles if needed.
2. Navigate to the directory or file you want to share.
3. Click on the Share icon for the respective file or directory.
4. Click on the Tickets button at the top.
   
5. Click on the Create a ticket for this resource button at the top.
   
6. You can create a Basic ticket with the options of:
   1. Read Only
   2. Read and Write
   3. Lifetime (expiration date)
7. Or you can create an Advanced ticket with the options above plus:
   1. Ticket password. Don't use your UCInetID password. You will be sharing this password with others.
   2. Unlimited expiration time.
8. Create your ticket with the attributes you choose, and click OK. After submitting your ticket creation, WebFiles provides you with a hyperlink which you can copy and paste into the application of your choice. Anyone you send this hyperlink to will be able to access the file according the parameters you set. Remember to share the ticket password if you use this feature.
9. Click Back to return to the main Tickets screen. Your ticket now displays in the table of tickets for this particular file.
10. Click Back to return to the File Management screen.

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Last Updated: July 1, 2011

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