[mod_python] writing to a file from mod_python

For security reasons, it's common to run the apache instance under a 
restricted user.  Many times this is 'noboby'. 
I only assumed 'nobody' based on past problems by other people.    At any 
rate, it seems you've solved your problem.

-Perry







hi Perry,

Yes !  Thank you.  I assumed if the relative paths were ok in a command
line execution they must be ok in mod python.  By the way, how do you
figure the apache instance is running under 'nobody' ?  In the httpd.conf
there is clearly a section where the user and group are defined by
default as 'apache'.

On Tue, 30 Sep 2003 perry.tew at cibavision.novartis.com wrote:

> Hello.
> Is your apache instance running under the 'nobody' user, or something
> similar?    If so, chmoding the somefile.txt to 'apache' will not help.
> I would advise caution in writing out files to relative paths.  Given 
that
> mod_python is an extension of Apache, would not a relative file
> such as 'somefile.txt' be written to the ServerRoot or bin directory?
> (I've never tried it).
> Here's something to try:  change the file from 'somefile.txt' to
> '/tmp/somefile.txt'. Almost every user id can write to the /tmp 
directory.
>
>
> Hope this helps,
> Perry Tew
>
>
>
>
>
> <tpc at csua.berkeley.edu>
> Sent by: mod_python-bounces at modpython.org
> 09/30/2003 04:37 PM
>
>
>         To:     <mod_python at modpython.org>
>         cc:
>         Subject:        [mod_python] writing to a file from mod_python
>
>
>
> hello all I have the following script that ran fine from the command 
line:
>
> <code>
> #!/usr/bin/env python
>
> #string1 = "hello world!"
>
> def writeFile(string1):
>         open('somefile.txt', 'w').write(string1)
>
> ## writeFile(string1)
> </code>
>
> but as soon as I ported it to mod python I got the following:
>
> <paste>
> Mod_python error: "PythonHandler mod_python.publisher"
>
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/mod_python/apache.py", line 
335,
> in HandlerDispatch
>     result = object(req)
>
>   File "/usr/lib/python2.2/site-packages/mod_python/publisher.py", line
> 194, in handler
>     result = apply(object, (), args)
>
>   File "/var/www/html/python/testing.py", line 7, in writeFile
>
> IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: 'somefile.txt'
> </paste>
>
> I searched the web for the error message, chmod'ed 777 somefile.txt, and
> even chown'ed and chgrp'ed to user and group apache, all to no avail. Is
> there a way to write to a file from mod python ?
>
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