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Can't read from or write to directories symlinked across partitions

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  • Last reply by rmcd

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Using Ubuntu 22.04. I can upload and download files from /tmp and also from any directory on the home partition (or symlinked entirely within the home partition). However, I have a data partition with symlinks in the home partition, and Firefox throws a permissions error when I try to read or write from or write to one of those symlinked directories. So far, Firefox is the only app that exhibits this behavior.

I believe I need to change the "Security Context" in Firefox, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that.

I describe the problem more fully here:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/1487763/firefox-cant-read-or-write-to-directories-symlinked-across-partitions

I will have to abandon Firefox if I can't fix this.

Thanks!

Using Ubuntu 22.04. I can upload and download files from /tmp and also from any directory on the home partition (or symlinked entirely within the home partition). However, I have a data partition with symlinks in the home partition, and Firefox throws a permissions error when I try to read or write from or write to one of those symlinked directories. So far, Firefox is the only app that exhibits this behavior. I believe I need to change the "Security Context" in Firefox, but I haven't been able to figure out how to do that. I describe the problem more fully here: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1487763/firefox-cant-read-or-write-to-directories-symlinked-across-partitions I will have to abandon Firefox if I can't fix this. Thanks!

Chosen solution

I seem to have solved the problem by executing `sudo aa-complain /usr/lib/firefox/firefox`. Thank you chatGPT.

I don't know how the `apparmor` profile was created in the first place, but I certainly didn't do it.

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If you are using the Firefox Snap version then you may be out of luck.

You can try Firefox from the official Mozilla server if you currently use a version from the repositories of your Linux distribution to see if it behaves differently.

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Thank you for the prompt response. I've been using the firefox version from the mozillateam ppa. Running the version you linked to *does* solve the problem

The difference between the two versions is evident from System Monitor:

  • for the ppa version, "Security Context" = "firefox (enforce)"
  • for the downloaded version, "Security Context" = "unconfined"

I'd really like to understand what controls this setting.

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Chosen Solution

I seem to have solved the problem by executing `sudo aa-complain /usr/lib/firefox/firefox`. Thank you chatGPT.

I don't know how the `apparmor` profile was created in the first place, but I certainly didn't do it.

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Ubuntu has an apparmor profile for /usr/lib/firefox/firefox. It would be preferable to keep enforcing it and instead add paths you want to be accessible to /etc/apparmor.d/tunables/home or /etc/apparmor.d/local/usr.bin.firefox. Apply changes with sudo service apparmor reload.

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@zeroknight Genuine thanks for the response. I understand that the ideal solution is to modify the apparmor profile, but I'm sticking with my chosen solution. The recent install of firefox from the PPA (on a newly installed ubuntu 22.04 image) has been several crippling problems that are difficult to debug, most prominently the symlinks issue and FF not launching the zoom app. I was very close to ditching Firefox. I hope that doesn't prove necessary down the line.