[RESOLVED] Folder Permissions and Virtual Users with PHP (Not virtual directories related.)

bladx

Hi,

I'm working on a simple file manager script that I wrote a couple of years ago. It is basically a simple front end written in PHP for users of a CMS in which this file manager is used. Like I said, it's a front end that connects directly to a specified base directory on my server. For example,

+pdf
+splash_images
+user_photos
+usera
+userb

I want to be able to prevent a user (usera for example,) to be able to browse/upload to the +pdf, +splash_images, +user_photos, but NOT be able to browse other user folders.

Is there a way to do this with PHP filesystem functions? I've been looking through the functions trying to find something that would make this work, but I can't seem to figure it out. Basically, I'm just trying to find a way to put folder permissions on folders through PHP in a web browser. I know I could just use chmod then if that was the only thing I wanted to do, but I need this to be different for different virtual users in the CMS (i.e. Administrators and Users).

Any ideas?

Andy

theelectricwiz

Hello,

Yeah, apart from the chmod I think the easiest way would be to use a database to store user access information. Then when a user is trying to access a specific folder, just look it up in the database.

bladx

Hi,

Thanks for replying! I will try that tomorrow, I'm not sure why I hadn't considered that approach...

-Andy

bladx

I was just thinking though...

A problem can occur if someone creates a folder in a directory (without creating a folder within the CMS,) as in, the permissions in the database won't be updated to reflect the newly created folder.

That isn't something that would happen very often though, as only someone with access to the actual server directory could do, but I'm just thinking about how the database permissions table could be inconsistent with what folders are there.

Maybe that means one would just have to (after directly creating a folder in a directory on the server,) go through the CMS and change permissions for that folder?

hmm

bladx

Another thought I had though: wouldn't this be a lot of hits to the database? Every time a user moved through the file manager, the database would have to be queried each time and go through the table list of permissions...

Is it more effecient to get all of the permissions information and put it into an array that can be used instead of going back to the database each time? (Like a $_SESSION array unless there is a better way.)

theelectricwiz

Yes I agree. Storing the array of permissions in a array is a good idea. My suggestion was just a way to store permissions, not to impliment them. Depending on how large the file structure is, you could even just grab the entire folder tree in one hit and use javascript or something to navigate (but only if the file structure is small and is not going to grow) otherwise you could use something like ajax.

bladx

Good point about the javascript idea, that's ultimately what I would like to move to in the future. For my outdated filemanager I'll probably just use an array then... and then do the javascript (and ajax,) in time. Thanks for the feedback!