file creation user and permission problems

pizzipie · 12-25-2022, 02:50 PM

I have a script which creates a Directory to contain CSV files from a MySql database and the related .csv data files. I want to access the directory and use the .csv files to write reports with LibreOffice. If I run the following code snippet below , contained in the script, FROM THE COMMAND LINE the user:group is rick:www-data and all is ok as I can now run the new .CSV file in LibreOffice.

If I run the following code snippet below, contained in the script, FROM THE BROWSER the user:group is www-date:www-data and all is NOT ok as I CANNOT now run the new .CSV file in LibreOffice.

How can I change the owner:group of the Directory to rick:www-data.

Apparently the command line uses HOST owner while browser uses PHP owner ???

Please help with a simplistic answer. I have been two days looking at many ways to manipulate permissions, most of which is overly complicated(to me).

Code:

$dir="/home/rick/DBases/Dbmysql/contacts2/reports/";

/* This works on Command Line but not in Browser */

if(!is_dir($dir)) {
	mkdir($dir);
	exec("chmod 766 $dir"); 
	exec("chown -R rick $dir");
	 }
	 
$filename=$dir.$csvExt;
echo $filename."\n\n";
bye(25);

NevemTeve · 12-25-2022, 11:55 PM

You cannot change the owner of a file/directory if you are not root-user. But you can change the group of the user/directory.
For example:

Code:

mkdir($dir);
chmod($dir, 0775);
chgrp($dir, 'www-data');

Edit: chgrp and chmod won't work either if the directory already exists and the user running this script is not the owner of the directory (or root-user).

grail · 12-26-2022, 02:57 AM

I was thinking along a similar vein from the point of view that the directory has not changed between the comnmand line version and the browser version, do you not simply need to make sure the group has the correct permissions?

Guttorm · 01-04-2023, 08:47 AM

Hi

By default, only the creator of files/directories can change. And you need to be root or use sudo for chwon. You cannot do it as www-data.

A simple solution to this is to use umask. You can put this before the mkdir in the PHP script:

Code:

umask(0);

Now everyone can change it. It also applies to files written after this command.

From the command line, this command does the same:

Code:

umask 0

Now www-data has full acceess.

NevemTeve · 01-04-2023, 09:09 AM

> Now everyone can change it.

Can change what? Guess you mean create and remove files in the directory.