Plug in Store download

motis

Andy,

Where do I find the "Plugins folder Permissions"

Thanks

andybot

You need to go to the Sketchup program folder, and open the properties for the "Plugins" folder. There in the "Security" tab, you can edit the permissions for the "User" account to add "full control"

Andy

TIG

To allow you to manually install and manage plugins you have always had to change the permissions to the Plugins folder to be FULL. This was always the case before RBZ archive installation arrived... It's been discussed at length both on sketchup sites and across the forums... In the Security dialog you posted click Edit and set Admin AND Users to FULL control, Apply/OK.
Also set the SketchUp.exe file's Compatibility to 'always run as administrator'
Hopefully a new version of SketchUp for PC will store your plugins in a folder that automatically has FULL rights for you - until then it's a manual fix.
Having the Plugins folder in the Programs Files tree automatically limits everyones permissions, even if you are an admin. However, changing them to FULL should only be done to allow 'you' to read/write/change files in the Plugins folder - if you have limited rights then you can't Auto-Install from the SketchUcation Plugin Store dialog or use its Archive Installer, or its tools to Manage/Uninstall Plugins either...
Why do you perceive it a significant security risk ?
Thousands of users do this change-over all the time...
Who but you has access to your PC ?
If it's a 'corporate network' and the Plugins folder must remain secure against 'hackers' [probably because of IT-guys' hyper-sensitivity etc] then there are plugins like Fredo's Additional folders that offer you the chance to set up your own personal Plugins folder somewhere else on the system, with FULL rights [it's your own folder after all ! ]. A custom folder is not available to the native Extensions>Installer, which always uses the default Plugins folder and might now also fail if security is overly strict; BUT the SketchUcation Auto-Installer [and its Archive Installer] recognize ALL registered and available custom plugins folders for you and let you choose to install in any of them 'automatically' too, the Plugins Manager also lets you choose a custom plugins folder to Manage/Uninstall in, use Sets etc, just however you desire...

andybot

It's not that anyone else would have physical access to my computer - I'm just thinking about computer viruses that try to install in program folders, UAC is just an added layer of protection in that you have to permit any new installations.
It has worked fine so far to install plugins manually without making any permissions changes - that's why I'm confused why this change has to be made only for using the Plugin Store extension - and why it wasn't an issue with the previous version.

TIG

I don't understand that difference either...
The v1 code used .writable? test for the access to the Plugins folder.
BUT that sometimes returned true when it was false.
To double-check the permissions really work v2 actually extracts a tiny temporary file to the Plugins folder, if that succeeds it's OK. I it fails there's an error/restricted-permissions message.
Something is adrift if it can do actually do the test and then fail ???

If you set your permissions to your Plugins folder to FULL can you install from the PluginStore ?

Without unfettered permissions to the Plugins folder you will not be able to Manage/Sets/Uninstall Plugins ???

andybot

Well, that's the thing - I am not getting an error message, the plugin just doesn't show up. Once I changed to "full access", Store v2 is working fine. I had been able to install a plugin manually before changing the permissions, like I have many times before. I just click through the UAC warnings and it drops in or installs the extension just fine. With the Store - it would start the install, ask the permission warnings, but then no confirmation and no plugin installed.

TIG

BUT... if you have FULL access v2 works [as predicted]
AND you'll be able to 'Manage' your Plugins too

andybot

@tig said:

BUT... if you have FULL access v2 works [as predicted]
AND you'll be able to 'Manage' your Plugins too

I was able to manage my plugins fine before the Store without messing with permissions...

I think that's my point. I just don't see why it should be different versus doing things manually, especially since v1 worked just fine. It looks like v2 should work as before, but after the permissions dialogue comes up, and permission is granted, there is no further action.

TIG

You misconstrue what I mean by 'Manage' your Plugins.
The SketchUcation 'Plugins Manager' works by changing your plugins in the Plugins folder, so it you have limited permissions it won't work. This tool allows you to enable/disable plugins and make Sets etc'
Do you mean adding plugins manually and/or with the RBZ installer ?

Can you also clarify your statement, "...after the permissions dialogue comes up, and permission is granted..." - what dialog is that?
Can you post a screen-shot.
The only messages that come up when using the SketchUcation Plugin Store dialog are the standard one about installing an extension [as with the Extensions > Install button...] - is that what you mean... and a then a closing one saying it has finished the installation.
If you have security permissions issues it should display an error message explaining what's up - then you need to manually fix the permissions to get it to work.

Do you have Sketchup.exe set to 'always run as admin' ?
Are you an admin ?
Does your Plugins folder have FULL permissions for you AND admins, and others listed in Properties > Security > Edit... listing ?

I'd like to get to the bottom of your supposed issue...
Clearly thousands of users manage to get by using v2, so we need to find what's up...

andybot

I dunno, maybe I just missed some flashing billboard with instructions on it to change folder permissions. I am running an administrative account on Win7, so any changes I want to make, I just get the regular windows UAC permission request and then things proceed as expected. The odd thing is that the UAC request comes up with Store v2, but then nothing had been happening after I click OK, no warning messages, nothing. I guess it's just my misunderstanding of how it works, but it's against my expectations that's all.

TIG

The permissions to the Plugins folder are limited by default by Windows when the Plugins folder is first made in the Programs Files tree - effectively 'read-only'.
The limitation applies to everyone - even admins - so being an admin is no guarantee of immunity.
You seem to know how to change the folder's Security permissions to FULL, do this for yourself and admins. Check it has filtered down to affect all of the contents too...
Also set the SketchUp.exe Compatibility to 'always run as admin'.

These changes have been discussed at length in many threads and posts...

Another aside that just might be causing an issue...
But a long shot ...
If you have a custom icon assigned to the Plugins folder please change it to the default before resetting any permissions - this has been know to have subtle effects on the permissions even when they report as FULL they are slightly limited by Windows, simply by virtue of the custom-icon - no rhyme nor reason...

andybot

TIG, Sorry, just doing a postmortem, I don't need any trouble shooting. I already changed the permissions so it's working correctly.
The only item of concern was that before I changed to full permission, there was no warning message or anything indicating why, or even that the Store v2 wasn't working.

TIG

Your final paragraph is what worries me...
IF you were unable to add files to the Plugins folder then there should be warning messages...
If I fiddle with my permissions to limit them I get error messages and can't continue.
It never lets me think I've installed it OK when I have not...

So whatever subtlety of permission settings you had tricked it into thinking it can work, and that it had worked - it is perplexing

andybot

@tig said:

Your final paragraph is what worries me...
IF you were unable to add files to the Plugins folder then there should be warning messages...
If I fiddle with my permissions to limit them I get error messages and can't continue.
It never let's me think I've installed it OK when I have not...

So whatever subtlety of permission settings you had tricked it into thinking it can work, and that it had worked - it is perplexing

Well, that's exactly why I responded to this thread. It sounded like the OP's problem was the same. No warning, and no effect. The solution is simple, the source of the problem - who knows? Like I said before - no activity in the Ruby console with this error.