Problem chmod ing smf default theme copy

[Paulie]

Ok i think i`ve found the problem. For some unknown reason when you install a new theme from the default, you cant modify it. But you can modify the default itself. Wierd or what lol.

[crip]

I love cookies..

[IchBin]

Once again, this is a permissions problem. Because of the way the server is setup, anytime you have SMF copy or move files it sets the permissions on the files so that you don't own them. Thus, making it so that you can't edit them.

[borgBOB]

I love cookies..

Time to feed crip.

[Amay_Zing]

I was told by my host that it was the way that the php files were uploaded to the server by the smf manager - thats why they are owned by "nobody" and thats why I can't change the CHMOD on some things.  This is confusing

[Crip]

command line files to CHMOD (777) (644) (755).. other words (force) them to CHMOD..never fails

[IchBin]

I was told by my host that it was the way that the php files were uploaded to the server by the smf manager - thats why they are owned by "nobody" and thats why I can't change the CHMOD on some things.  This is confusing

This is something I just asked over at SMF. The problem is when SMF uploads and files/packages/themes etc. it uses the apache user name and group for the file owner. Often hosts run apache as the user nobody and the group nobody. So, the files are literally owned by someone named nobody. This makes it so you can't alter/delete any of the files owned by "nobody"...

I just asked at SMF if there is a way possible to fix this. I'll report back here if I get any good info.

[Amay_Zing]

Yes thats exactly what my host said - Cool thanks IchBin 

[TwinsX2Dad]

In this day and age of GUIs and XY input devices (your mouse), many never learn UNIX commands - yet for the most part, your Web site runs on a variation of UNIX.

It is a very easy fix, IF you have shell access and PuTTY (Telnet/SSH client) or something similar.

Access the folder, then enter the chown (change owner) syntax as follows:

chown [-R] newowner filenames

Where:

-R
Change the permission on files that are in the subdirectories of the directory that you are currently in.

newowner
The alias/username of the new file owner.

filenames
The file(s) you need to change the rights to.

Example:

To give permissions as owner to user tinyport for the file smftheme.txt, you would enter:

chown tinyport smftheme.txt

It is extremely simple to accomplish. If you need to change more than one file, you could do it by entering:

chown tinyport smftheme1.txt smftheme2.txt smftheme3.txt

[gerrymo]

I'm quite lucky there. I dont have cPanel. My hosts have their own control panel that has an option to change ownership of files. It was a nightmare getting rid of phpnuke until I discovered it and worked out what to do.