[BlueOnyx:09450] Re: Dirs/files rights via FTP AND via CMS

[Chris Gebhardt - VIRTBIZ Internet]

Frank Soyer wrote:
> Hi list,
> sorry if this subject was already treated, but I have more and more 
> problems with rights and I don't find an acceptable solution.
> My problem is that most web developers are now using CMS, Wordpress, 
> Joomla, and so on. These CMS have their own system of update, or module 
> install, or themes install. Via the admin page with a browser, you can 
> do all that.
> But if you do that, the site tree must be owned by Apache.
> 
> By another way, when you need to upload files or specific scripts, you 
> need to use FTP. Apache can't connect via ftp, so you use a user created 
> for that.
> If the site is owned by apache, this user have no rights. If you change 
> web ownership for this FTP user, apache don't have rights so the admin 
> fonctionnalities of the CMS no longer work. Argh.
> 
> What is the solution ??? Changing web ownership any time you want use 
> ftp or use cms is not one.

Why not simply use FTP for all?  For instance, I'm aware that Wordpress 
and Joomla both have the ability to connect via FTP rather than via 
Apache.   That is a very simply modification to make.

For most of the WordPress sites that our customers run, they are 
configured with suPHP, with ownership of their admin FTP user (both of 
those options set via BX GUI).  In order to get around the system asking 
for FTP credentials every time an upgrade is done or a plugin is 
updated, you can lock the FTP information inside wp-config.php.  Here's 
a sample of what you'll need:

*****************
define('FS_METHOD', 'ftpext');
define('FTP_BASE', '/home/sites/SITENAME/web/');
define('FTP_USER', 'username');
define('FTP_PASS', 'password');
define('FTP_HOST', 'localhost');
*****************

Similarly, Joomla versions beginning with 1.5 have allowed for FTP.  You 
can set that up inside Joomla by going to your site's Joomla Control 
Panel->Site Menus->Global Configuration

More info on that is here: http://help.joomla.org/content/view/1941/302/1/2/

> I found a solution by adding W right on group on all the files and RX on 
> dir. All users created in the vhost are in this group, so it works. But 
> it's complicated, we must manually do that after all changes, or new 
> files, or new directories....

That's cumbersome, and may introduce unwanted security risks for you.  I 
would avoid that procedure and just stick with setting up FTP in the 
CMS.   Most modern CMS platforms have that option and my suggestion 
would be to take advantage of it.

-- 
Chris Gebhardt
VIRTBIZ Internet Services
Access, Web Hosting, Colocation, Dedicated
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