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[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#135219

I am trying to install a site for a friend with a host I have not used before. I am installing the site in the usual way by unzipping the quickstart and FTP’ing the site to the root directory.

The first time I did it I got a ‘configuration file unwritable’ warning at the start of the install so I uploaded the file manually afterwards as per the joomla instructions. The site seemed fine until I tried to install an extension and this is when I realised that Joomla did not have write permissions on any folder all of which were set to 755. I played around with a few things and decided to start from scratch and do a fresh install.

This time I set root directory to 777 so as to allow Joomla write the config file in the normal way.

The install went as planned but the config file has a different owner. It’s owned by ‘httpd’ and the newly installed files are again not writable by Joomla. All other files are owned by myaccountname but I don’t know if this is the server user or ftp user as they have the same name and are set by the host.***

I know I can set 777 on all folders for the purpose of uploading extensions and configuring the site but I would like to know why this is happening and if I can fix it or do something to avoid it.

Any advice is very much appreciated.

*** I am presuming this as all files show myaccountname as the owner in cuteFTP. Those I uploaded via FTP and those that were there already.

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#278710

**Bump**

Anyone? I’d hate to have to bring it to the Joomla forums 🙁

[mj1256 Friend mj1256Join date: June 2007Posts: 1473Downloads:10Uploads:35 Thanks: 84 Thanked: 225 times in 118 posts]

#278718

Who is the hosting company?

Do they have SUexec or PHPsuexec installed

Who owns the files, the user or apache

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#278725

mj1256;90193Who is the hosting company?[/quote]
http://www.register365.com/products-unix-business.html

mj1256;90193Do they have SUexec or PHPsuexec installed

I have no idea. Any easy way to find out or will I have to contact them?

scotty wrote:

Who owns the files, the user or apache

All preinstalled files and folders (inc. root directory) on the server are owned by username1

All files and folders uploaded by FTP are owned by username1. (But not necessarily the same username1 or so I have read)

After Joomla install, configuration.php is owned by httpd and all files are ‘Unwritable’ if I go to HELP>System Info>Directory Permissions in Joomla backend.

[Sherlock Friend SherlockJoin date: September 2014Posts: 11453Downloads:0Uploads:88 Thanks: 221 Thanked: 2478 times in 2162 posts]

#278788

Hi Scotty,

That is security of Linux server, please kindly contact host provider for supporting.

if you install joomla normanly, it will can’t create configuration file, you must create configuration file by your self:
When you see “configuration file unwritable” warning, you will see a textarea below, please rename configuration.php-dist file to configuration.php, then copy all text from textarea onverwrite into confoguration.php

[scotty Friend scottyJoin date: March 2008Posts: 2339Downloads:0Uploads:13 Thanks: 76 Thanked: 827 times in 595 posts]

#278811

Thank you for the replies guys.

Yes I did install the congig file afterwards.

This is indeed a security measure taken by the host where files created through scripts on the server are owned by apache. I could ask my host to change the settings but I think I will leave it as is because….

I have enabled the FTP layer in Joomla. With this enabled Joomla uses your FTP user account to access and write to folders and files with in your web directory. This usually solves any permission problems experienced like the one I mention above.

Infact this method is a more secure way of using Joomla and is just as fast (I thought it would be slower).

Thank you both again for you advice.

Ohh I should point out to those that found this thread because they are having problems and decide to use the FTP layer….

When you are installing Joomla and it says ‘configuration file writable: No‘ if you enable the FTP layer it WILL write the config file and you DO NOT need to manually install it afterwards. This also goes for some warning during installation of extensions. Even though it warns that folder XXXXX is unwritable – it will write the file.

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