Error Deleting Files in public_html [update]

[spoonyliger]

02/18/29012 Update: So, this time I tried using FileZilla insted of RBrowser. I still the get the message that I don't have permission to delete the files. Can this be fixed on Comicgenesis' end?

Original Post:

Harro, peeps!

So, I have a few files in public_html that I'd like to delete. A few years ago I was able to delete files in that folder (even though comicgenesis advises not to), but now when I try to delete those files I get the following message in my FTP software (RBrowser):

Error
Deleting Failed:
about.html: 550 Could not delete about.html: Permission denied.

Any thoughts?

[robotthepirate]

What is it you're trying to delete?

[Sites]

I have deleted things from the public folder as recently as a month or two ago, so it should still be possible. Are you trying to get rid of an "about" page?
If you really can't delete it directly, you could upload a blank "about" page into the workspace and let it copy over the public one on the next update. Then remove all traces of the about page from your index and daily templates so that nothing links to it.

If an empty page exists on the internet and no one visits it, does it still contain code? /zen

[robotthepirate]

If an empty page exists on the internet and no one visits it, does it still contain code? /zen

Er, no. If you know the page is empty then the answer is b) "No, it doesn't contain code". But if you upload a blank page trigger an update but never check to see if the page has been updated then we have our selfs a "cat in a lead box" quantum mystery. Though I don't like that theory. It discounts all points of view except that of the observer and once you do that you may as well sit there wondering all your memories are fake and you've only just begun to exist.

This is why you don't pose philosophical questions around me.

[spoonyliger]

I'd rather just have the actual file gone so that my public_html folder looks less crowded.

[spoonyliger]

Can anyone help me with this?

[Mastermind]

Maybe you can't delete because writing is disabled for that folder?

[spoonyliger]

Maybe you can't delete because writing is disabled for that folder?

It didn't use to be disabled. I've deleted folders from there before.

[VeryCuddlyCornpone]

So have I! Very recently even I'm confused what's causing the problem for you, I'm sorry to hear this!

[Mastermind]

Looks like permissions on public can't be changed and I'm having the same problem. I have two comics I haven't touched in ages and I can delete pages but they reappear when I come back and when I try it in Mastermind, I'm getting the error message (no problems with the subfolders, just the main public_html). So if the full update didn't delete the unwanted page and it still works, I'll just replace it with a blank one

[robotthepirate]

It isn't a file you have an both you public and workspace folders is it? That would mean that once you triggered an update it would put it back onto public.

I do have the same problem. Can't delete files from the main public folder, don't have a problem with the comics and d folders though. Maybe someone was sick of people messing up their accounts and needing a fix.

[Mintcondition]

I'm having the same problem. I haven't touched my comicgenesis webcomic in forever and I want to delete everything but the main pages. I can delete them from workspace just fine, but the public_html files remain and I can't change the permissions either.

It would be great if an admin or someone from comicgenesis could chime in.

[Kisai]

This is traditionally caused by putting files on the site directly. When the updater runs, it runs under different permissions, so any file it creates are created under those permissions. This is usually not a problem if you're only putting the files to update into workspace. However people don't always do this.

The correct way to remove the files is to let the diagnostic system reset the permissions and then just use the FTP to deal with it. I'm not sure offhand why the diagnostic system has stopped running. But it takes a godawfullongtime to run.


*Sometimes I reget over-engineering the scripts I wrote in 2005.

[STrRedWolf]

Okay, I just put in a tweak that should fix it in the future, but it'll be a band-aid until I do a proper setup. (Work has been a pain but I think this second cup of coffee is helping)

Meanwhile, I'm going to do a server-wide permissions reset for everyone. Check tomorrow for those stray files.