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Choosing your hosting

Alternative Title: Editing your files on your server after installing via webinstall/backend update


Summary

v3.1.x brings some new functionality in that Jomres plugins can be installed via the backend of Jomres. This makes it much easier for me to deliver updated versions of plugins quicker, and for you to find them, however it brings it's own set of problems which some of you may not be aware of.

The problem

Previous to Jomres v3.1.x you could only upload Jomres using the exe installer or manual ftp upload. This was great because it meant that your ftp account was the file owner so you could edit those files easily but it meant that Joomla might have problems uninstalling Jomres because it didn't have the rights to those folders. It also means that the integrated updater in Jomres, which provides a much much faster, simpler method of upgrading, might not work because at that point Joomla would be running as webserver, not your ftp account, and didn't have the rights to make changes to the files that you owned by uploading via ftp.

Web servers typically run as a certain user. On most servers these users have a very limited set of rights, generally they can't edit other user's files and other users can't edit their files. This is why sometimes you need to use joomla explorer to edit files on your web server, because if you've used the Joomla component installer to upload plugins then the web server "owns" those files, not you.

The solution

The better hosting services use a feature of Apache called SuEXEC.
Wikipedia
Apache

The wikipedia entry gives a good summary, the apache.org link supplies more indepth info.

The easiest way is to fix the problem right at the beginning by choosing the right hosting service. By that I mean choosing one that offers SuEXEC servers so that the web server always runs as your ftp account holder. Two services I know of in the UK that provide this service are United Hosting and Krystal, but there are many others. I believe that United Hosting also provide a similar service for the USA but for legal reasons, unless you can help it, I advise you to avoid using United States hosting or domain registration.

United Hosting
Krystal


Krystal are nice and cheap, whereas United Hosting offer excellent, secure servers and top notch support.

(I'm not affiliated with either except as a customer, so am speaking from experience)