[support] Filemanager...Forgive Me

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I am struggling not to vent in this forum. This declaration may keep me
honest as I work toward a non-violent solution. ;)

After a few weeks of pondering the possible combinations of modules that
will allow a file upload system that actually works, I've been trying to get
the 'Filemanager.module' set up.

After previously articulating my frustration [see "Once Again...Inserting
Image Links" 2006-04-03 in this list], and being diligent in following up on
the limited suggestions, I'm going to go out on a limb and say:

    1. I am not an idiot.
    2. There is no sufficiently documented process for adding file
        management capabilities to Drupal.

Sure, there are a handful of possible "you could use this plus this"
scenarios, each equally poorly documented.

The documentation for 'Filemanager' is so bad, that I am hereby driven to
further conclude that if a normal, moderately intelligent human being, with
sufficient experience in web building, can not figure out how to install
your software, then your efforts are self-serving and vain.

Okay, that's that. Enough steam.

But how to make this work?

I am using Drupal 4.6 latest, not 4.7 betas, and I do have the Upload module
enabled.

Here is what the actual module settings screen says:


> Public file system path: [ ]
> 
> A file system path where public files will be stored. This directory has to
> exist and be writable by Drupal. This directory has to be accessible over the
> web. Changing this location after the site has been in use will cause problems
> so only change this setting on an existing site if you know what you are
> doing.

Okay, I've got "assets/files" and the perms are 777.

> Public file system url: [ ]
> Base url that points to the public files directory.

Okay, I've got that set as well, pointing to the above.

> Private file system path: [ ]
> A file system path where private access controlled files will be stored. This
> directory has to exist and be writable by Drupal. This directory should not be
> accessible over the web. Changing this location after the site has been in use
> will cause problems so only change this setting on an existing site if you
> know what you are doing.

This is terrible writing.  Firstly, since I am told that this should not be
accessible over the web, then that means that it should be outside my
'public html' folder. No problem.

I create a directory above my public html folder, and then I set its perms
to 777. This is fine.

But that means that I know must enter a path in the relatvie form
"../../../" and so on, back up to that directory.  Okay.

This does not work.  404 errors abound.

Okay, so no problem.  I don't care about "private" files anyway (that's why
they make .htaccess files, so I can lock off directories.)

Moving on and ignoring this problem, this is the end of the set-up.

There is no help file with this module, and the online threads suggest
frustration galore, so I am not alone.  Only there is not real solution.


So, what happens with this set-up, which all appears to be okay (I got
'green light' boxes telling me my settings are saved, and a 'red light' box
telling me the private directory is not present...of course, it is.)

Since things seem okay, I try to upload a file.

The file is, indeed, uploaded, but it now resides here:

    assets/files/working/0/<otherfiles>  [that I've tried also to upload]

    assets/files/active/0/<thefile>

And, on top of that, even though the directories leading to this 'directory
0' are all owned by me, with perms of 777, this 'directory 0' is owned by
Apache, and I am unable to add to the directory or remove the file.

(Similarly, and perhaps its the upload module's fault, the 'pictures'
directory is now owned also Apache owned.  No other PHP scripts I have used
for upload have ever change a directory to Apache owned. This is poor form,
wherever it's coming from.)


Additionally, when I click the to-be-downloaded file's URL as displayed in
the article/page/story/whatever, I get 404 errors, and in my Drupal
watchdog, I get this entry:

    system/files not found.


I have NO DIRECTORY CALLED SYSTEM, nor do my settings suggest otherwise.

Where did the URL come from? (I know the module, but I'm just saying...)


Can someone toss me some links or some reference to documentation that is
actually useful?

(I almost don't want to use this module just _because_ the documentation is
so terrible. But...  Arrggh.)


Where to go?  What to try?  What other modules?


Help...?

--
Gary

(With a grain of salt, please.  My bitterness is only temporary.)