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Here are exact instructions for setting permissions on PHPNuke.

Permissions must be set correctly for all files in PHP Nuke, in order for the website to work properly. This can take some time, but it is necessary. If you are good at it (fast), you can set all permissions for the entire site in about 30 minutes.

The following excerpt is taken from the PHP Nuke Manual, and then following that are exact instructions for setting permissions.

This is from the PHP Manual:

The right permissions for PHP-Nuke are the following (for the base permissions, see Section 23.4.4 in the context of security):

Files: 644

Directories: 755

Only directories that require upload access (like the forum's avatar folder, if you allow avatar upload) should be set to 777 and files that get data written to them by the program should be set to 666.

If you are installing PHP Nuke for the first time, this may seem like a long process, but it must be done. WS_FTP or a similar FTP client can be used. In general, WS_FTP is not preferred because it places an annoying log file in every directory. Some FTP programs do not have the ability to set permissions. Thus, you will need one that you prefer, which has that ability.

As stated above, almost all files will be 644, almost all directories will be 755 (except for directories getting uploaded to, few of them that there are) and off the top of my head I cannot think of any files that get data written to them... If someone thinks of one post it here so that other people can be helped out.

REMEMBER -- File permissions are not web access permissions, but rather, they are for the server itself. In other words, files in the website on the server need to access each other, and you are telling them how to behave. This can affect whether they get accessed properly by the end-user's browser, but essentially you are telling the inner website how to interact with itself.

HOW PERMISSIONS WORK: There are three permissions settings: Read, Write and Execute. There are three permissions levels: User, Group, and Other.

This is set up with the following points given to the settings:

Read = 4 points
Write = 2 points
Execute = 1 point

There is a reason for this, and it has to do with being able to easily recognize a setting.

FILE PERMISSIONS: For example, PHP Nuke files (not directories) get set to 644. That will always be:

User ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=Off
Group ------ Read=On, Write=Off, Execute=Off
Other ------ Read=On, Write=Off, Execute=Off

.HTACCESS PERMISSIONS: Remember that .htaccess files get set to 644 also, but .htaccess files on the server will not show up in WS_FTP, and with most FTP programs they disappear as soon as you upload them, even though they are still on the server. Also, some servers will automatically attach a ".txt" extension to .htaccess files, so you need to manually go into the server and make sure your .htaccess file does not have some unnecessary extension added to the file name, and make sure you find it and set the permissions to 644, as stated above .htaccess files (on the server) cannot be seen with WS_FTP and some other FTP programs

DIRECTORY PERMISSIONS: PHP Nuke directories get set to 755. That will always be:

User ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=On
Group ------ Read=On, Write=Off, Execute=On
Other ------ Read=On, Write=Off, Execute=On

"UPLOAD FOLDER" PERMISSIONS: PHP Nuke upload folders, such as in the avatars module (where additional avatars can be uploaded by users if you allow avatar upload) get set to 777. That will always be:

User ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=On
Group ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=On
Other ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=On

"FILES THAT GET DATA WRITTEN TO THEM" PERMISSIONS: Files that get data written to them get set to 666. That will always be:

User ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=Off
Group ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=Off
Other ------ Read=On, Write=On, Execute=Off

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