SOLVED Mysterious user locks file on AFP share...for some

[Eniac74]

On our freenas server my girlfriend and I share a common dataset (/mnt/Volume/DSCommon), with equal permissions (via group), although I am also owner.

Tonight, we both accessed an Excel file on this dataset, although not simultaneously, but in sequence. After she had closed the file again (and rebooted her computer) I try accessing the file anew, but am met with the message that the file is locked by user 'Anna Andersson', see attached file. The thing is, there is no such user or group.
I reboot the Freenas server. Same thing. ...for me. However, my girlfriend could easily open the file (again, she is not Anna Andersson). So I figured there was something in my computers cache, so I reboot my computer. Same thing though.

While I ponder this mystery, my girlfriend opens the file and does some editing. When she saves the file (not done previously this evening, only viewed) I get a message that the file now is available for editing. I open it, and everything looks fine.

There are only Macs on the network.

Q: how is it possible to get that 'locked for editing' from a non-existent user?

 

[m0nkey_]

AFP is being deprecated by Apple. I suggest two things. Upgrade to at least 9.10.2-U6 (very stable if you don't want the latest) and switch to using SMB.

 

[Eniac74]

AFP is being deprecated by Apple. I suggest two things. Upgrade to at least 9.10.2-U6 (very stable if you don't want the latest) and switch to using SMB.

I think AFP was on the slope even when I set up my Freenas server, and I therefore seriously made an effort with SMB. However, at the time one (or was it two) major issues arose, which nobody could really explain or rectify, so I fell back on AFP, as it worked close to fault free in the environment.
I was not aware of the "hard" phasing out of AFP with High Sierra, but am not looking to upgrade to that OS anytime soon (unless forced by external necessity).

Regarding the Freenas version, the current in use by me has proven very stable and as I do not have ample time to address any issues arising from an upgrade (something always happens), I am very reluctant to tamper with what is working. Anyway, the mysterious incident seems to me an outlier, so upgrading does not really guaranty this not happening again after an upgrade.

So i appreciate your two valid points for future-proofing, and realize I must soon start at least the planning for a change, but would still like to understand the mystery with the non-existent user.

 

[nojohnny101]

The problem is that a lot is fixed between releases, not just new features. While you maybe think this is a weird case and you have just come across it now, it just might have been addressed in an update to FN since you are running quite a bit behind on versions.

From what I am reading, it sounds like maybe a problem specific to excel (if I'm reading your description correctly). What version of office are you running on the Macs? How close in sequence did you open the file (might have been some background process of closing the file that didn't get to finish before the other person opened it). My hunch though is that somehow excel itself locked the file and this has nothing to do with permissions.

 

[Eniac74]

I have forgotten to update this thread, but do so now.

Following nojohnny101's second comment (about XL specific problem) I asked girlfriend about her name settings in XL, and after double-checking it turned out she had used that dummy name when installing XL. So, YES this turned out to be an XL issue and not Freenas.

Hope this helps someone else in the future when trouble shooting.

 

[m0nkey_]

Ah-ha! The human factor. :)