Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (Full Version)

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abbeyvet -> Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 11:12:23)

I am spoinled having for so long just worked on my own servers which I know like the back of my hand!

I am on a different one now and it is confusing me. When I ftp to a folder - say images - in the web, this is the path showing in WS_FTP:

/home/sitename/www/images/

and the cgi-bin is here:

/home/sitename/www/cgi-bin/

However when I run an environment variables script I get this:

DOCUMENT_ROOT $ENV{' DOCUMENT_ROOT' } /www/sitename

and the path to the script in the cgi-bin is:

SCRIPT_FILENAME $ENV{' SCRIPT_FILENAME' } /www/sitename/cgi-bin/env_vars.pl

In other words the sitename/www which appears when you FTP is showing as www/sitename


Also in WS_ftp the www folder when in /home/sitename/ looks as in the image below - does that means it is mapped or something?

I am installing a script in the cgi-bin that will be calling images from the images folder and writing to folders that ideally I want above the www directory, is this going to mess it up? Also this site will need an SSL cert - is that going to have an effect?

I have no direct access to contact the host here, who is a reseller anyway and does not seem that au fait with the server (he says setting up a cron task will take 3 days!!), and who I can only contect via my client so its a long drawn out process.


any help greatly appreciated - Gil?????? [:D]




[image]http://www.frontpagewebmaster.com/upfiles/651/Jg13919.gif[/image]



Gil -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 11:29:35)

Katherine,

It' s hard to say ' for sure' without looking, but normaly the WWW directory is just mapped to the home or public_html directory - this goes back to when everyone thought it was kool to have a www. in as the 3rd level domain. That allows www.domain.com and domain.com to resolve to the same directory. I think you may need to do a little testing to see what paths you' ll need.

As to the SSL cert. - Yes, it will affect things. Anything that you need to be on a page that is secured will need to be in the secure directory (usualy something like home/secure)

I' ve never seen that particular directory structure - What OS is this? Is it Apache?



abbeyvet -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 11:53:39)

Thanks Gil,

Yes, its Apache on Linux - I have never seen a setup like it before either. When I first took a look I was appaled at the MESS!! There were 40 auto installed scripts - all out of date versions and some of them so out of date they were 1997 versions! - cluttering up the place. Took me quite a bit of time just junking them!

The /home directory itself is full of directories with what are obviosly the names of other sites - I can see all their names. Plus loads of different user directories. I opened one, another site which also belongs to my client while logged in as a user of his first site. I could not see anything there.

However while logged in as a user to one site, say with username " usera" , I was able to open the directory of " userb" on the same site browse to the www directory and upload, download and delete files to my hearts content.

I am really confused with this.


On the SSL, this means that instead of being able to just access a page using http:// or https:// as a matter of choice, following the SSL cert installation, I will need everything in a secure folder? Even the script, in a seperate secure cgi-bin? Who would set up the secure folder?


That would be an awful nuisance.

It is a domain specific cert from Geotrust.




Gil -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 12:20:40)

quote:

However while logged in as a user to one site, say with username " usera" , I was able to open the directory of " userb" on the same site browse to the www directory and upload, download and delete files to my hearts content.


Whoa!!!!! That' s a time bomb waiting to go off!

Any chance of talking the client into moving to one of your servers?

quote:

On the SSL, this means that instead of being able to just access a page using http:// or https:// as a matter of choice, following the SSL cert installation, I will need everything in a secure folder? Even the script, in a seperate secure cgi-bin? Who would set up the secure folder?


That would be an awful nuisance.

It is a domain specific cert from Geotrust.


The cert should be issued to a domain. Mine is issued to secure.thehstfactory.net - If it is issued to the 2d level domain IE: domain.com you could access any directory by using the https protocol - BUT, I' ve never seen that - not sure what the ramifications might be. Remeber that anything using https is going to go thru a 128 bit encryption and be slow - you normaly only use https for things (forms) that need it and run everything else out side the encryption.



abbeyvet -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 12:31:50)

quote:

That' s a time bomb waiting to go off!


Yeah, I am not too thrilled about it myself, I have dropped a line to my client. Don' t think I will be able to move him though, more is the pity.

I understand about SSL on locations like secure.thehstfactory.net. But we are having a Cert issued and installed specifically for myclientssite.com, rather than using the shared one, which is available.

I do not intend to have general use of https when browsing etc, but to give the option to users that certain transactions, such as support and the like, are conducted over a secure connection.

Thus I don' t want to have to install everything twice, which would be a pain, but to have the same stuff available either way.



Gil -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 13:40:38)

quote:

I do not intend to have general use of https when browsing etc, but to give the option to users that certain transactions, such as support and the like, are conducted over a secure connection.


I see no reason that won' t work - just have never seen it before.

I didn' t mean to imply the cert at secure.thehostfactory was a ' shared' SSL - it' s not. Example of what I have always seen. IBM has a SSL directory - it' s secure.ibm.com The IBM.com is not SSL. Everything that needs security is in the secure directory or a sub directory under that.



caywind -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 15:00:01)

quote:

However while logged in as a user to one site, say with username " usera" , I was able to open the directory of " userb" on the same site browse to the www directory and upload, download and delete files to my hearts content.
K, you must be very careful here. Time bomb yes, liability could be [8|]! I would definitely write a release of liability (on this issue) into the contract.



Gil -> RE: Server setup - File paths (unix/linux) (5/30/2003 15:24:45)

quote:

But we are having a Cert issued and installed specifically for myclientssite.com, rather than using the shared one, which is available


With the directory configuration of that server, that' s like locking a screen door [:j]



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