Joomla Error: 553 Rename/move failure: Permission denied

Hi Mates,

I tried to overwrite images in a Joomla Template using an FTP tool, but I was denied to overwrite files and got a 553 error: 553 Rename/move failure: Permission denied.

I use cPanel, but the same problem occurred.

What shall I do to fix this error so that I can upload and overwrite files in a Joomla template?

 

Most likely the template was uploaded using Apache/PHP script (inside of Joomla perhaps)? This is probably because of mod_php, and PHP interpreter being run as user 'nobody', thus any files it creates would be owned by either 'nobody' or something similar.

You need to contact your host and ask them to chown your account files, or you can say specifically the template directory. A recurring chown is like this (if using cPanel):

 

Thank you very much, diligent host. I am setting up a support ticket at my host. I have no problem with Wordpress. It is always Joomla that has trouble and error.

 

This is a very common problem in Joomla template. If the server is not using suPHP then templates uploaded from Joomla get the ownership of nobody:nobody instead of user:user.

Kailash

 

Kailash, so the solution is to install suPHP? Will the host install it for me?

 

I believe it should fix this problem but your host will need to recompile PHP with suPHP and there may be some reasons behind not to use suPHP by your host. You can ask them for more details behind to disable suPHP.

Kailash

 

Thanks Kailash. Your suggestion is very helpful. I think the Joomla developers should address this issue. If you use a default template of Joomla, will you encounter a similar problem?

 

I think with default Joomla template, you should not face the problem but if you upload anything via Joomla interface then there is a chance that you may not be able to access those files and folders via FTP (in case of suPHP is disabled).

Kailash

 

With the default template, you are right in that the ownership of the files will already be good to go. If you upload using Joomla, you can access/read the files, but you just can't change/delete them. Some hosts provide a script customers can use to chown all files/folders in their accounts with the correct ownership, most of them don't though, and you're left with having to contact them.

 

having suPHP will cause the server load to increase, also customizing php behaviour will have to be done through the php.ini and not through .htaccess any php on the htaccess file will cause a server error.

the solution for this problem is actually simple, you must edit the configuration.php file of your joomla:

edit the part about ftp:

var $ftp_enable = ‘1′;
var $ftp_host = ‘main account domain’;
var $ftp_port = ‘21′;
var $ftp_user = ‘cpanel username’;
var $ftp_pass = ‘cpanel password’;
var $ftp_root = ‘/’;

I posted on my blog some time ago here

 

Hi Jipeto,

I haven't had a real solution to this problem. The joomla forum was not a big help to me for this problem. I will try your suggested solution. Hope this is the ultimate cure of this problem. Thanks a lot.

 

for files and folders already uploaded, not sure if it works, you might need to ask your web host to run a chown command so that your files and folders will be owned by you and not by the default nobody. if you have access to the server root run the following:
cd /home/xxxxxxxxx/public_html
chown -R xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxx *

xxxxxxxxx is the cpanel username.