Gaining access to the /apache folder.

[londrum]

Hello.
Although i've been running sites for billions of years, i'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to using dedicated servers. until this year i was always on shared hosting, so i'm trying to learn my way around.

the problem i've got at the moment is my disk space. it's filling up. it's about half full, so i've still got loads left, but i want to get it sorted before it becomes a problem. i'm guessing it's something to do with the logs, so i want to get into the folder and delete them.

i know where the folder is, but when i log into FTP i cannot see it. i can't get into the /apache folder at all.

i've tried setting up a new FTP account on WHM, with access to that folder, but i don't seem to have that ability. i can't find any settings to do that on WHM.

the only place i can create a new FTP account is on each site's cPanel. but that won't allow me to view any folder above the site's root folder. and i'm assuming that the apache folder is above that.

does anyone know how i can use WHM to gain access to the /apache folder? it will be much appreciated if you do!

[wilderness]

FWIW, and on my shared hosting providers, deletion of logs has always been required via http and CP.

Primarily because the logs are contained in the Apache structure and above the domain root.

[incrediBILL]

If you're trying to make FTP accounts to gain access outside of the control panel and Apache's domain, it won't work, everything is jailed to specific domains and accounts.

If you're running CPanel, the logs should auto-rotate and purge themselves. I run Plesk and the server has been up for years, never needed to purge any logs manually as it's all automatic, which is the point of a control panel, virtually server free maintenance, so I doubt that logs are the issue but you never know.

More than likely, check your /tmp folder as someone is probably filling it up with junk that isn't purging it.

Another thing to check is your mail server, assuming you allow people to use mail on that server, as any account using BOUNCE instead of REJECT for failed email will fill up with spam so fast it'll make your head spin. When I used to run a hosting facility years ago it was customers not downloading email spam that tended to fill up the server. I just started charging the customer for storing all his spam, he purged it right away!

What I think you need to do is use SFTP over SSH2 which, given your SSH root login, should give you full FTP access to the entire server.

Check that out and see if that's what you need.

[londrum]

i tried your mail suggestion, but that looks okay.
i checked out that auto-rotating log thing as well, and that looks like it's switched on and working, so maybe its not the logs after all.
/tmp folder is okay too.

i've checked all the folders i can and they all look fine. so it must be something above the ones i cant see

What I think you need to do is use SFTP over SSH2 which, given your SSH root login, should give you full FTP access to the entire server.

that sounds good, but it went right over my head. is there a newbie kind-of way of saying it?
my knowledge of FTP extends to using FileZilla. anything about SSH is like double-dutch

[incrediBILL]

SSH and SFTP aren't complicated, much, they're just a command line interface, all you need to access it is the login name and password plus software like FileZilla to make it easier to use with a GUI.

You can get a free SSH client like Putty for Windows and login. I use an SSH terminal that charges a small fee (totally worth it) called Absolute Telnet that contains a small SFTP client built-in. Once I login with Absolute Telnet using the user name and password, there's a GUI SFTP client to browse the server available on the "transfer" menu, the ENTIRE server.

FTP is also a command line interface, FileZilla is just a GUI that runs it and FileZilla also supports SFTP. The difference with SFTP is you login via SSH instead of FTP and login using your server's admin/root SSH creditials instead of your FTP account and password.

Other than the minor difference in setting up the SFTP login to your server in FileZilla, you won't know the difference once you are online except you can go anywhere and do anything.

Problem is, if you aren't familiar with what files should and shouldn't be on your server, be very careful because you can easily cause problems if you kill the wrong file. The GUI interface of FileZilla just makes it easier to cause wide spread destruction if you aren't careful, one inadvertent click and POOF! all hell breaks loose. When you're not sure, move it or rename it first, as it's easier to put a file back than sitting there with nothing and "500 server errors" blinking in your face!

Not trying to scare you, but just make sure you have all verifications on when browsing your full server so moves and deletes ask:
"are you sure?"
"are you really sure?"
"are you absolutely positive?"
"if you click yes now, it's all your fault, continue?"

:)