I'm not familiar with this host or your particular filesystem setup, but here are a few tips:

Make sure you're giving a full filesystem path for the data directory. 

If your server is set up to serve documents out of /httpdocs/ your data directory *must* be in a different spot than under /httpdocs/.  Can you create /elggdata/?

It is quite non-standard for a web server to serve files from a directory immediately under /.  I'm wondering if your real document root is /home/account/httpdocs/ or so?

Thanks Brett.

Perhaps it's easier to explain with the use of paths.

My webserver is set to serve files from /vhost/account/httpdocs/.  This is where I put all of the Elgg files so that they are in the webserver root.  My host doesn't permit me to create /vhost/account/data.  I get a permission error doing that.

My option is to put the Elgg files in /vhost/account/httpdocs/elgg and then create /vhost/account/httpdocs/data.  However, if a user simply types my domain name, he will not be at the Elgg homepage because it's in the subfolder called elgg.  They would have to type domainname/elgg/index.php to get to the home page.  I want to avoid them having to do that.

Hi Scape,

You seem to be saying that your hosting provider will only allow you to put files in a web accessible directory. If so, that is pretty nutty.

There are many good security reasons for storing data outside of a web accessible directory. Putting the Elgg data directory in a web accessible location is potentially a huge security hole.

I find it a bit difficult to believe that your hosting provider doesn't give you *anywhere* to put non-public data, however. Perhaps you should ask them about that?

search ;-)

• http://www.newlocalmedia.com/blog/59-installing-elgg-12-on-media-temples-grid-server-and-mysql-4.html
• http://community.elgg.org/mod/groups/topicposts.php?topic=20730&group_guid=15815
• http://community.elgg.org/mod/groups/topicposts.php?topic=206929&group_guid=23300
• http://groups.google.com/group/elgg-users/browse_thread/thread/1454ffe6d98c1869
• http://community.elgg.org/mod/groups/topicposts.php?topic=108610&group_guid=56389

@Dhrup, on your first link:

This person seems deeply confused since Elgg 1.0 came out in August 2008 and not October 2008 as he claims (and no it was not "late").

I hope that his remaining information is more reliable.

there is 1 more link i bookmarked that dealt with data folder specifically.. when i find will post..

• http://community.elgg.org/pg/pages/view/50191/

also look thru these re:open_basedir

• http://elgg.org/search.php?cx=005259479028933031574%3Adzhf21k6ccu&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=open_basedir&sa=Go#1243

Now that I've done your work for you ;-) don't ask too many more questions lolz.. you should be able to make it work for you.... ;)

Dhrup,

Thanks for your help. 

Please note that sometimes you need to know the right terminology before you can search effectively.  I did search but because I did not know the correct terms to use, I did not find anything on point.

I will do my best to make it work for me with the links you were kind enough to find for me.  However, I can't guarantee I won't have more questions.  I understand if you chose not to reply to them.

That last link shud give enuff good info - that guy runs on Media Temple himself.

Well, I've gone and done everything as stated in the last link and I too am ending up with the data folder not writable issue.  I've confirmed that it is 777.