common directory for multiple users

[rpatt]

If I need to give access to multiple users to a common directory, what would be the best location. I would think that this needs to be outside /home. I can create a directory under the root directory / or create something under /var or /opt.

Any advice?

[Kerms]

My family uses /tmp, mainly because we're lazy, and /tmp flushes out old files every so often.

If you want a more permanent solution, I'd create a folder under /
There's a problem in sharing files across users, though, read and write permissions may get in the way.
For example, Joe drags a folder into the dmz directory, but Billy can't write to that folder, and it's contents. Joe's folder (or contents) doesn't have o+w*. This can be solved if Joe or root manually (with recursion or not) gives o+w* to Joe's folder.

There are a couple of ways to surpass this:
One way, which I find really, really dirty to do, is to create a separate partition with a filesystem that doesn't support Unix filesystem permissions. That way, everyone can read, everyone can write, but no one can execute without moving the file onto a filesystem that can.

The other, to create a cron job that recursively gives g+rw* permissions to a special group pertaining to that dmz directory

Now, what I'd do, is to teach your family (or whoever is using that computer) the basics of permission handling across owners, groups and other users. That, on top of a daily cron job of recursively changing all things' permissions under the dmz directory with at least g+r*. (However, the former is the most important.)

*The letters in ugoa-=+rwxXst is defined in the man page of chmod.

(It rubbed me the wrong way just a wee bit, but putting the folder in /var or /opt makes no sense whatsoever. If anything, the dmz directory should be placed under /usr (But plain ol' / makes everything easier.))

[diegosuse]

You can create a new common user. That create a new directory under /home. Be aware with the permisson. If you have time you can have 2 ways. Install a ftp server with jails (to protect your info.and master conf ) and can assign user and passwd to each client. Or install samba and work with it. Hope helps

[pane-free]

OP did not define "multiple users" well enough, but Kerms suggestion of vfat/FAT32 file system is good (I would go with a separate partition that users of the dominant OS could mount as a directory under D:\, perhaps).

Please elaborate if we have not helped.

Gone.