The source thread demonstrates why “the app cannot write to RAID” should not immediately be treated as one ZimaOS permission bug. The first community reply claimed App Store containers normally had read-only access outside their own AppData unless a folder was created or “touched” through Files. The original poster tried exactly that and still could not create SFTPGo folders or delete music from Navidrome.
After those counterexamples, the responder revised the explanation: filesystem ownership is only one layer. Each application also has its own container user, expected internal paths, and feature boundaries. That later correction is the more reliable lesson.
There Are Three Different Permission Layers
- ZimaOS host storage: the real RAID or disk folder and its ownership/mode.
- Docker volume mapping: whether the host folder is mounted into the container and whether the mount is read-only.
- Application behavior: which user the app runs as and whether the software itself supports creating, deleting, or renaming files.
A failure at any one layer can look like “permission denied.”
Creating the Folder in Files Was Not a Universal Fix
The initial suggestion was to create or move the target folder through ZimaOS Files so its ownership would be applied correctly. The original poster created srv/data on the RAID, pointed SFTPGo to it, and still received permission-denied errors.
Therefore the Files method cannot be stated as a guaranteed solution for all apps.
SFTPGo Needs a Writable Path That Matches Its Runtime User and Configuration
SFTPGo runs with its own permissions and virtual-folder/home-directory rules. A host directory can exist and be visible while still being unwritable by the SFTPGo process.
For a current deployment, verify the host folder, Docker mount mode, container UID/GID, and the SFTPGo user's configured home/virtual folder together.
Navidrome Is Primarily a Media Library Server
The source responder said Navidrome should be treated as read-only for library management and that deleting tracks from inside Navidrome was not supported in their context. The user's inability to erase a song therefore was not good evidence that RAID permissions were universally broken.
Manage source music files with Files or another file-management tool unless the specific current Navidrome version documents a supported file-modification feature.
Check Whether the Docker Volume Is Mounted Read-Only
A volume mapping can explicitly use read-only mode. If the app is intended to modify files, the host folder must be mapped read/write and the process identity must have write permission on the host filesystem.
Current ZimaOS lets users inspect and edit app volume mappings from the application settings.
Current ZimaOS Makes Host and Container Paths More Visible
IceWhale now documents the relationship between app-side paths such as /config or /media and the real storage folders backing them.
Use the current ZimaOS app path model before using recursive chmod/chown as a first response.
Do Not Use chmod 777 as a Diagnostic Shortcut
Broad write permissions can mask the real problem and expose shared data to unrelated processes. They also do not fix an app that intentionally opens a volume read-only or refuses a path through its own configuration.
Change only the minimum ownership or group permission required by the app.
A Better Diagnostic Sequence
- Confirm the exact host folder in ZimaOS.
- Confirm the app volume maps that folder to the expected container path.
- Check whether the mapping is read-only.
- Identify the UID/GID or user the container runs as.
- Verify that identity can write to the host folder.
- Confirm the application itself supports the attempted operation.
App Storage Permission FAQ
Did recreating the folder in ZimaOS Files solve the original SFTPGo case?
No. The original poster tried it and still received permission denied.
Does a readable RAID folder automatically become writable inside every app?
No. Docker mount mode, container UID/GID, and application behavior still matter.
Should Navidrome be used as a general-purpose file manager?
No. Treat the music source as managed outside Navidrome unless the current application explicitly supports file modification.
