[SOLVED] apache requires owner root to access /var/www/html

MrUmunhum · 10-23-2016, 04:34 PM

Hi group,
My Apache set up on my laptop is getting really annoying. I use it to develop my web pages, so I need to be able to edit them, which requires RW privileges for me but when I save it and try to access them, I get

Code:

 
Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /index.html on this server.

unless I change ownership to root. I have Apache User defined as me in httpd.conf and httpd runs as me.

This is getting very frustrating.

Can anyone provide me with a work around?

Emerson · 10-23-2016, 04:42 PM

ls -l will tell you who owns the file, add your user to relevant group.

MrUmunhum · 10-23-2016, 05:35 PM

fix problem with:

Code:

<Directory "/home/me/HTML">
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
  </Directory>

Turbocapitalist · 10-24-2016, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrUmunhum

I have Apache User defined as me in httpd.conf and httpd runs as me.

This is getting very frustrating.

The simple way of dealing with write privileges on a one-user system is that you can just take ownership of the files with "chown". Then you can write. No need to change the httpd user in the configuration. In fact that can be a bad idea.

The group membership suggestion is sound if the Apache server cannot both serve a page and write to it. If you are in a group which can write to the directories and the web server is running as you, then the server can write to the files. That violates the idea of privilege separation. Each part should only have the privileges necessary to fulfill its tasks. Ideally, the web server runs as a unique user which can only read the files. That way if someone does find a way in via it, they can't start writing their own web pages or, worse, scripts.

My recommendation would be to set the user in the web server's configuration file back to what it was supposed to be, in regards to httpd user. What problem are you trying to solve by changing it? The other change, that of Directory settings is fine.