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Some things in the world of Wurm can't be locked and some things can. This guide will show you which is which.
Permissions and security are a complex subject. Knowing if an item can or cannot be locked can eliminate
needless frustration in your journey towards crafting your perfect security setup.
Generally, anything that can be locked is a container but not all containers can be locked. Simply put, a
container is an item that can hold other items inside. The backpack you were given when you entered the
World of Wurm was your first container, (and is an example of a container that can't be locked.) The
table below attempts to list every type of container available to you, if you can lock it and how.
Vehicles, boats, structures, rooms in structures, fences and mines are considered containers for the
purpose of this guide as they all can hold something else inside which you may wish to secure.
How do I lock a container?
With an appropriate type of lock selected in your inventory, right click the container and click Attach lock in the menu.
There are a number of reasons why you may not see the menu option.
The container may already be locked
You may have an incorrect lock type selected
You may not have deed permissions to attach locks
You may not have appropriate structure permissions to enter or modify items in the structure
How do I unlock?
For most containers, right click the item and highlight the item name on the menu that appears. An option will pop out labeled
Unlock. This removes the lock from the item and places the lock in your inventory. For structure doors, Unlock is available
directly on the right-click menu. Unlocking a structure door does not remove the door lock. It simply unlocks the door. Mine doors cannot be unlocked.
Permission settings must be used to remove any access limits.
Why would I want to?
Without a lock, control of (and access to) individual items cannot be managed for groups or individuals. The type of control and access you can grant or deny depends largely of what type of container you are working with.
Permissions on items that have a lock override most other permissions like deed and structure permissions and settlement roles.
Deed and structure permissions and settlement roles are generalized "all or nothing" types of permissions such as "may pass gates" or "pickup planted". Locks allow for management and control of individual items.
Locks are required to enable the Quality lock feature of bulk containers that provide that capability.
Some items like boats and vehicles can be commanded away by anyone who passes by. All your hard work lost for lack of a simple lock.
A Warning
Removing a lock using the Unlock command removes ALL permissions that have been set for the
item being unlocked. Even if you do nothing and simply reattach the same lock all permission settings will
default back to the original as if you were attaching a lock for the first time. If you wish to retain existing
permission settings but change a lock to a different one on an item, use the Replace lock command
instead! Using Replace lock preserves any permissions settings already present for the item.
Legend
The followng symbols are used in the table below to indicate different lock types and the various permissions that can be managed on locked items.
