Permission to write a file on linux

uisce

Hi,

OK, here's the problem...

My host account is on linux and I want to write a file.

Purpose of the file:
The file is a weekly report uploaded by a small number of users (who log on to the wesite, not the server) through forms with a heading and different topics. I'm using the content of the forms and uploaded images to write a php file that can be viewed by others (e.g report17-01-08.php). I'm doing this to format the file with html tags, etc.

Problem:
The web server (apache) as other, can't write a file without permissions to do so. I don't want to give other full rights to a folder. I persume I shouldn't for security reasons, or am I being too paranoid for one folder?

Possible solution:
1) Give other permission to create and write to a file on one folder (and sub folders)
2) Put the small number of users in a group and give them permission. I presume I would have to log them on to the server ( aswell as website, name and passwords in a database) but I'm not sure how !?!! 😕

Any suggestions ?

NogDog

Probably the best solution using a typical Apache setup running PHP as a module would be to create a group of two: your personal user account and the Apache user account. Give rwx permission on that directory for the you and the group (770). This would mean that any other PHP script being run on the server could still read/write/delete files in that directory, but it would shut out most other forms of access to any other accounts.

uisce

Yeah.... second solution so.

Problem is, I'm not quite sure how to do this.
I'm GUESSING that I need to create a linux user and password file(s) for a script, to logon certain users, so apache is not other (httpd). And that this script will run when the user and password is verified from the mySQL database, when they login.
Then they have access rights to write, etc.

I've done a lot of searching, but can't find anything to help. Especially the login part. I'm GUESSING again when I say, I would use exec() or something similar, to logon users to apache.

Any good links or suggestions ?

uisce

The problems just got worst...

I was talking a very helpful :rolleyes: person with my webhost, He said I can't create any users or groups. It's just me and httpd on a desert island. :eek:

Anyone know how I can login to my account in a script, write the file and go back to httpd. 😕 :queasy:

Is this the right form ?