Can't get unlink() to work

Paul_Ferrie

For the life of me i cant figure out why this wont work

$img 		= 	mysql_fetch_array($result);
$tjID		= 	$img['tjID'];
$tjRef		= 	$img['tjRef'];
$tjSmImg	= 	$img['tjSmImg'];
$tjXlimg 	= 	$img['tjXlImg'];
//
$smImg		=	"../media/shoots/images/".$tjRef."/".$tjSmImg;
$delSmImg 	= 	unlink($smImg);
if(!$delSmImg) {
    fail("Error deleting small image from server, $smImg");
}

When i trace $smImg the file path is correct.

Anyone.

thanks

Wynder

Remember that this webpage is running as the webserver (generally apache or nobody user).. If the file isn't owned by that user or group or the file doesn't have the correct permissions, you won't be able to delete it from the server.

Go into the shell and 'ls -la' and post the fill line with your file if you still have issues.

Paul_Ferrie

Go into the shell and 'ls -la' and post the fill line with your file if you still have issues.

I think i follow a bit. Can you give me more detail.

The funny thing is i use unlink() for another part of the admin area that i am working on. It works fine:S

$theImg	=	"../media/shoots/main/".$Img;
$delImg = 	unlink($theImg);
if(!$delImg) {
    fail("Error deleting file from server '$theImg'");
}

Only diffrence is the folder reference . $tjRef

The files that i am trying to delete where intially unzipped into there destination using zip_open().
Would this make a diffrence?

thanks

Wynder

Paul Ferrie wrote:
I think i follow a bit. Can you give me more detail.

Since you're using "../dir/dir/".$file; for your path, I'm gathering it's a linux-based operating system. File's have varying permissions -- an 'la -ls' directory listing from the linux shell looks like this:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 wynder apache 534 Feb 2 16:14 test3.php

This means that wynder has read/write permissions (the first set of rw), apache (the user under which the web server is running) has read/write permissions and every other user can read the file.

If the 'w' was missing from that second set of permissions, apache (the web server) would be able to read that file but not write to it... including delete. If the permissions stayed as is, but instead read like this:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 wynder wynder 534 Feb 2 16:14 test3.php

Apache would be able to read the file (it's now using the last set of permissions, of which he only has read). That's really the best I can get into it without spawning this into a regular lecture, but if your path is right and your filename is right, chances are the permissions or ownership on your files are incorrect. When you login to the linux shell, these can be changed with the linux 'chmod' and 'chown' commands.

Paul_Ferrie

It's a windows 2000 server.
All i know via ftp program i cant change/view attributes of files on server.