Quoting Michael Prasuhn mike@mikeyp.net:
It would be nice if folks tried to at least verify the advice they give before sending it out to thousands of people.
I'm glad we have you to set the record straight. The information changes at lightning speed. Tomorrow what you say may just be incorrect as well.
1) sites/default/settings.php must be writable by httpd during the initial install steps. Reset to read only once installation is complete. 2) sites/default might need to be writable by httpd depending on your some configurations. And is handy for the install steps to create the files directory for you. Reset to read only once installation is complete. 3) sites/default/files must be writable by httpd regardless of if you create it or you have your system set to allow Drupal to create it. Otherwise, file and image uploads will not be able to occur.
Earnie -- http://for-my-kids.com/ -- http://give-me-an-offer.com/