Can’t Delete Files / Organize Galleries

[Wingspar]

I used ftp to upload some photos.  I made folders (albums??) On my server just as they are on my hard drive, and uploaded a couple of test galleries.  I deleted them all thru my ftp program, but they are still there.  I deleted them from the edit files page in Coppermine, and I get this error message.

Directory 'albums/Sports/Football 2005/football_camp/' is not writable, files can't be deleted

After I deleted those files via ftp, I created a real folder structure via ftp exactly as it is on my hard drive, and uploaded several galleries to begin to play with.  As an example, I have a Landscape gallery with nothing under it yet, and I do not plan on any sub galleries in this category.  I have a Sports Gallery with several galleries and photos under it.  On my main gallery page I want it to show only Landscape and Sports, but I see everything.  I haven't figured out how to get the photos into the galleries, but this will show you how it looks now.  http://www.garysdigitalphotography.com/galleries/index.php  By the way, the one thumbnail you do see and the photos under that thumbnail are the photos I want to delete.

public_sports_galleries should be a sub folder of Sports, football_2004 should be a sub gallery of public_sports_galleries and the other football folders should be sub galleries of football_2004.  How in the world can I accomplish this.  The manual really isn't helping me at all.

I'm just starting to explore Coppermine, and I am totally confused.

[Nibbler]

First of all, never delete anything via FTP. Use the built in pic and album deletion functions of Coppermine. You should create your album structure first and then upload via FTP into new folders within the albums folder. Each album should be in it's own folder - no nesting. Then you can batch add each folder into the relevent album.

[Wingspar]

So, how do I get rid of the files when I get this error message?

Directory 'albums/Sports/Football 2005/football_camp/' is not writable, files can't be deleted

I get it even from the Coppermine delete function.

[Nibbler]

You need to re-create the folder and then allow coppermine to delete it itself. Avoid spaces in folder names.

[Wingspar]

You need to re-create the folder and then allow coppermine to delete it itself. Avoid spaces in folder names.

Can you give me a step by step process to delete the folder and the files within it?  I've followed the directions in the CPG Manual, but I keep getting the same error

Directory 'albums/Sports/Football 2005/football_camp/' is not writable, files can't be deleted[/I]

Also, somehow I've moved the files to another folder, but I haven't the foggiest idea how I got them there, and can't figure out where I last saw them.

[Joachim Müller]

Heed the advice given: in the future, don't mess around with files using FTP once they exist in coppermine's database. For now, you'll have to do as suggested and re-create the album sub-folders as they were right before you deleted them. If you can't remember the exact name any longer, you'll have to directly edit the database using a tool like phpMyAdmin and remove the offending entries in coppermine's pictures table manually (make a backup/dump of your database before you start messing with it!). There can't be any step-by-step instructions, as ever setup will differ - we can't know exactly what you did.

[Wingspar]

Removed post as I got an answer elsewhere.

[Joachim Müller]

we believe in never deleting postings, as others might benefit from the issues you have had. Deleting postings is selfish. In the future: don't

[Wingspar]

I don't believe there was anything in the post I deleted that would have benefitted anyone else, then again there might have been a message in it that could have prevented someone from making a fatal error with their database as I did.  It was deleted in frustration.  I've also deleted Coppermine and the database that I destroyed.  I'll start all over again next week when I have time.

By the way, thank you for the -2 Karma, what ever that means.