[Solved]: "Directory 'albums/userpics/1000#/' is not writable" - problems

[Colliope]

I am getting this error message with one regular user account when trying to delete pics added by this user and when trying to add new pics. (This user can upload photos but gets the above error at the place them in an album step.)
Same error if I try to delete this user's pics via my Admin account.

My Administrator account gets the same error (different directory # though of course) message when trying to add pics via the "upload file" button and when trying to delete pics that were added that way. I can however upload files via "batch add".

Both directories (albums/userpics/1000#/') are at 755, same as the directories for other users that aren't having any problems, so I don't think it's a CHMOD problem.

Ideas?

Thanks,
C

[Joachim Müller]

If you get

Directory 'albums/userpics/1000#/' is not writable

, then you have indeed run into permissions. Apply permissions as suggested in the permissions section of the docs. If this doesn't help, ask your webhost for support.

[Colliope]

My directories are set like this:

/albums = 777
/albums/sub = 777
/albums/edit = 777
/albums/userpics = 777
/albums/userpics/100## = 755

I don't understand why 755 works for one user but not others, or why it worked at 755 before and then stopped working.

However, I just created a new user, created an album, and successfully uploaded and placed pics in it.
Checking my directories, that new user's directory was automatically set to 777. Hmmm.

Before posting my problem, I did try changing the existing userpic directories to 777 but get the error - "operation not allowed". So I wrote my webhost. He said everything should work at 755, and that 777 is a security issue and he's suprised I was able to change any directories to 777 as I shouldn't be able to do that.

I feel like I'm at a brick wall now, not knowing where to go with this problem. My webhost has always been very willing to go above & beyond in helping but I don't want to waste his time if this is a problem on my end rather then something he could fix on his end. Likewise, I don't want to waste your time here if the problem lies with my server. Hoping you can make a little sense out of this,

Thanks,
C

[Colliope]

Just discovered that a third user is also getting the "Directory 'albums/userpics/1000#/' is not writable" error when trying to delete or add pics. This user's directory is set at 755 like all the others. It must just be a fluke then that the one user IS able to add & delete at 755. I'm going to write my webhost to see if he can please let me change all the userpic directory permissions to 777 and see if that fixes the problem. Knock on wood.

C

[Colliope]

More playing around with this yesterday and I discovered I could change the chmod of any other directories, it was just the userpic directories in CPG that were stuck at 755 and denying me permission to change them. I was unable to change them via my FileManager or via FTP, and my webhost himself was unable to change them from his end, he too was getting some sort of "operation denied" message. So he got in contact with his "sysadmins" (I have no idea who that is or even that there was a level of involvement higher than the webhost owner ) and the "sysadmins" did something on their end which fixed the problem. I have no way of knowing what they did, but it worked - I was able to change the userpic directories permissions myself, which fixed the problmes I was having in my gallery with users being able to add & delete pics.

For me, the problem is solved, but I don't know what caused the userpic directories to get "locked" in the first place or what was done to correct it. So I don't know if I should flag this as "solved" or not as it doesn't really offer any helpful
advice to others who may be looking for a solution to a similiar problem.

C

[Nibbler]

The subfolders in userpics are created by the webserver which is running as a different user account to you. Because it owns the directories you don't have permission to change them. The sysadmin probably changed ownership of the directories to you. If they need to be 777 then you can set that in config ('default mode for directories') and Coppermine will set them to 777 automatically as they are created. That way you shouldn't have this problem with any new users.

[Colliope]

If they need to be 777 then you can set that in config ('default mode for directories') and Coppermine will set them to 777 automatically as they are created. That way you shouldn't have this problem with any new users.

I have that set to 777 so not sure why the old users were at 755, but they're fixed now. Thanks for explaining why they were "locked". I think this is solved now.