How do you set directory permissions in NSIS?

Question

I'm trying to build a Windows installer using Nullsoft Install System that requires installation by an Administrator. The installer makes a "logs" directory. Since regular users can run this application, that directory needs to be writable by regular users. How do I specify that all users should have permission to have write access to that directory in the NSIS script language?

I admit that this sounds a like a sort of bad idea, but the application is just an internal app used by only a few people on a private network. I just need the log files saved so that I can see why the app is broken if something bad happens. The users can't be made administrator.

Answer 1

Use the AccessControl plugin and then add this to the script, where the "logs" directory is in the install directory.

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "$INSTDIR\logs" "(BU)" "FullAccess" 

That gives full access to the folder for all users.

Answer 2

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "<folder>" "(BU)" "FullAccess" didn't work for me on a Windows Server 2008 machine. Instead I had to use this one:

AccessControl::GrantOnFile "<folder>" "(S-1-5-32-545)" "FullAccess"

S-1-5-32-545 is equivalent to "Users" according to Microsoft Support: Well-known security identifiers in Windows operating systems.