Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Setting Permissions

When you upload files to a web server, you need to be sure that the files’ permissions are set so that everyone is able to read your files. Permissions control who can read, write (edit), or execute (if it is a program) the file, and they need to be established for the owner of the file, the file’s group, and for “everyone.” Usually, when you create or upload a file, you are automatically the owner, which may mean that only you can set the permissions. Most web servers honor the operating system’s default permissions to determine which files can be read, written, and executed.

Some FTP programs enable you to set the default upload permissions via a dialog box. Figure 4-6 shows Fetch’s dialog box for doing this. For most web purposes, you want to grant yourself full permissions but restrict all other users to read-only. You may want to confirm that your server administrator agrees with these settings.

Figure 4-6. Standard permissions settings (using Fetch)

The server needs to be specially configured to recognize these permissions commands, so check with your administrator to see if you can use this easy method. The administrator will give you instructions if any special permissions settings are necessary.

Tip

If a CGI or script file does not work properly, permissions are often the culprit. You’ll need to enable execution to run these files. Resist the urge to enable ...