File Permission Changed by Package Process

[al_g]

I have a package that installs an UDL file under %ProgramData%. The original UDL file has user permissions set to Full Control. When the UDL file is installed as part of the package it ends up with user permissions of Read & execute/Read. My program (running as User) gets a file I/O error when trying to update this file. With the old school (not the future) installer file permissions could be set. Is it possible to do the same with Package Builder?

[Scott_Richardson · Accepted solution]

NI Package Builder does not carry any file permission or file attributes from the source file to the destination when installed. You must use a Custom Execute to operate on the file post install.

I believe that the following should work for you to create a custom execute which sets file permissions using the cacls.exe command on the target computer.

1. In the Root property, select [System (32-bit)].
2. Set the Executable Path to the name of the command prompt executable:

   cmd.exe

3. In the Arguments property, provide the arguments needed to pass in a string to the command prompt and then run cacls.exe:

   /c cacls.exe ""%ProgramData%\<RestOfPathToFile>" /E /G "<UserName>":F"

4. Click OK.

You should be able to use any of the Installation Target Roots for File Packages values with surrounding "%" characters as documented in the NI Package Manager help.

[al_g]

Thank you. Your suggestions works, but after reading that Microsoft is deprecating cacls I modified the Custom Executes to use icacls. With icacls I was able to set permissions for my entire directory with a single command.

/c icacls.exe "%ProgramData%\...\Configuration Files" /grant:r Users:F /t /c

:r Replace attributes
:F Full Access
/t Changes ACLs of specified files in the current directory and all subdirectories.
/c Continues the operation despite any file errors