Re: web management question

["Robert L. Yelvington" <robert@sciresearch.com>]

Hey, Mike.  You'll want to use the "mod_userdir" module of apache to set
up the user's web directory..AND you'll need to create a web directory
in the user's home directory in which they can ftp files to their hearts
delight!  Assuming your student will access their home pages by using
"~" method, you won't have to fool around with virtual hosts, but you
may wish to.

here's a quick example:

1. User1's home directory is '/home/user1/'.
2. User1's web directory is '/home/user1/www/'.
3. Within httpd.conf, I've told apache that my user's "user dir" is
"www" AND have allowed access to it and any other
   options (ExecCGI, etc.).

This way, assuming that you're jailing your proftpd users into their
home directories, they have access to their own web directory with no probs.

To make set up easier, you may wish to modify the "skel" directory so
you don't have to keep mkdir'ing the www directory when you add new
users.  I forget where skel is in Debian.../etc/skel?

At any rate, that'd do it.

HTH!

robt


> Mike Egglestone wrote:
> 
> Hi...
> 
> I need some advice on how to manage my web server....
> I work for a school and would like to setup web pages for students....
> 
> I have apache installed and proftpd
> 
> How would I manage the server so that students could have write access
> to their web folder... for example
> 
> jimmy would have this folder as his home page:
> /var/www/students/jimmy
> 
> /var/www/students/jimmy/homepage.html     would be his first page
> 
> Anyway.... if his normal home directory is here:
> /home/jimmy
> 
> How do I give him access to write to his web directory via ftp or some
> remote way?
> If jimmy was on the lan......then I could easily setup a samba share
> to students...
> and he would have write access only to his folder there....but what if
> he's outside the lan....
> at home......and wants to update his pages.....?
> 
> I was thinking I could change his regular home directory (/home/jimmy
> to /var/www/students/jimmy) via /etc/passwd.... but is that a good
> idea?
> 
> Thanks for your time
> Mike