debian linux box / apache2 issue.

[blazer]

hi all. really hoping you guys can help. basically i am running an apache server on a debian linux box. when i first had it set up it was working good. then i uploaded (ftp'd) a phpBB (forum) folder - which was unpacked in windows then uploaded as a folder to a guest Desktop. As soon as i moved this folder to the apache root folder there came problems. basically when i try to browse to the apache root folder from any network i get the:

Forbidden (403)
You don't have permission to access /apache2-default/ on this server.

at the moment the root folder contains an index.php file and a folder with more php files within.

the permissions on apache2-default (root) folder are:
drwxr--r-- 3 root root 4096 2005-07-30 apache2-default

the permissions on the folder and index file are:
drwxr--r-- 2 root root 4096 ... 2005-07-29 dealer (//folder)
-rwx--x--x 1 guest guest 92 ... index.php //..so on

so given the permissions i really cannot figure out what is going on!?!

i sort of am thinking that whatever folders/files apache server uses ... these files/folders may not be available to it ... but what files to change permissions on? i dont know...

so can anybody shed some light on the problem, because i sure cant!

thanks in advance...

[mack]

Did you set up Apache to recognise index.php as a directory index? Generaly a default install of Apache will only recognise index.htm

You may need to alter your httpd.conf to allow index.php

#
# directory index. Separate multiple entries with spaces.
#
<IfModule mod_dir.c>
DirectoryIndex index.html index.htm index.php index.cgi
</IfModule>

The above snippet was taken from my Apache httpd.conf config file, it is from an older version but your newer version of Apache should follow the same lines.

Mack.

[blazer]

hi thanks for the reply. well mate ... when i first had it set up and running it was working fine with index.php. even if i was to explicitly tell it that its index.php youre trying to load ... it will not.

but nevertheless i want to give it a go (your solution) - but i dont know where to find the file to edit.... do you know where its kept? (i am very new to linux, thats all :) )

[mack]

not sure about debain...

usualy /etc/httpd/httpd.conf

if it aint there turn the server upside down and try again. :)

on failing that open shell and type...
whereis httpd.conf

Mack.

[blazer]

hey dude, i did find it however the file is empty...

it says something about this file being here just for backwards compatibility ... (i guess just there because it used to be there) ... but not used.

so really i am stuffed ... dont know what to do ...

[blazer]

any more help?

[marcs]

Try 'locate httpd.conf' to see if there is another/real apache config file on the machine.

[blazer]

hey all .. thanks for helping me out so far..

i have located the one and only httpd.conf file - but as i said the contents of it is:

#This is here for backwards compatability reasons and to
#support installing 3rd party modules directly via apxs2,
#rather than through the /etc/apache2/mods-{available, #enabled} mechanism.
#
#LoadModule mod_placeholder /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mode_placeholder.so

<file end>

this is whats found in the httpd.conf file (the only copy of it).

you guys should know that the problem is a 403 Forbidden:

Forbidden
You don't have permission to access /apache2-default/ on this server.

this problem occured right after i unzipped a phpbb forum package (in windows), ftp'd to guest Desktop (Linux) - and moved to apache2-default (root folder). i done nothing else, and this problem occurred!

so strange...

also have look at the chmods for relevant folders i included too in my previous posts...

(thanks guys/girls/in-betweens!)

[blazer]

i have learned that if 'directory browsing' is turned off then i will have this problem.

i would like to know how to switch directory browsing to on.? (debian linux, apache 2).

cheers!