Mac OS X 10.5 Help
Setting permissions
Permission settings determine who can view and alter an item. To control access to items, Mac OS X automatically sets permissions for disks, folders, and files.
To change permissions for a disk, folder, or file:
Select the disk, folder, or file and choose File > Get Info.
If the Sharing & Permissions pane is not visible, click the disclosure triangle to show it.
Click the lock icon, type your user name and password, and click OK.
To choose a permission for yourself, select from the pop-up menu. To choose permissions for others who could use the item, select options in the Name and Privilege columns.
Read & Write: Allows a user to open the item to see its contents and change it.
Read Only: Allows a user to open the item to see its contents, but not change the contents or copy them.
Write Only: Makes a folder into a drop box. Users can copy items to the drop box, but cannot open the drop box to see its contents. Only the owner of the drop box can open it to take items out.
No Access: Blocks all access to the item so that users can’t open the item, change its contents, or copy its contents.
To apply the same permissions to every item contained in the selected folder or disk, open the Action (gear) menu and choose “Apply to enclosed items.”
Click the lock icon again to prevent further changes.