[wellylug] Setting up a simple web server

[David Antliff]

On Tue, 9 Aug 2005, John Durham wrote:
> I'm trying to set up a simple web server on Ubuntu, and I'm the only
> user. Root access is available, and I have created a folder at:
> root at ubuntu:/home/httpd/html
> Using gedit, I created a simple html page as a place marker to
> experiment with. The problem is, the system is rejecting my efforts to
> change the folder permissions so files can be saved there!
>> From the httpd directory I tried:
> chmod 755 html
> There were no complaints from the system, yet when I try to add the
> files in the html folder, it complains I don't have permission to do
> that.

I suspect it's not rejecting the instruction to change the permissions - 
it's more likely some sort of misunderstanding about how the permissions 
apply.

Firstly, you can do ls -l to view the permissions on all files and 
directories in the current directory.

Also, although the numerical notation is shorter and you'll probably end 
up using it eventually anyway, it can be useful to use the 'ugo' syntax. 
Have a look at 'man chmod' for details.

E.g. 'chmod 755 somefile' is the same as 'chmod u=rwx,g=rx,o=rx 
somefile'

  u = user owner of file
  g = group owner of file
  o = others (everyone else)

  r = read
  w = write
  x = execute

Perhaps post the output of 'ls -l' here?  Maybe you creates the directory 
as the root user (so user includes write) but you're trying to write a 
file in that directory as another user (other only has read and 
execute)?

-- 
David.