I have a similar set-up at my school, except it's for staff not students...
Make sure the following line in uncommented in /etc/apache/httpd.conf:
LoadModule userdir_module /usr/lib/apache/1.3/mod_userdir.so
That causes Apache to look at a directory under the users home dir named
public_html. The users web address will be http://www.server.com/~user.
Here is a link to the mod_userdir page on Apache's site
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/mod/mod_userdir.html.
For the remote access, we also use ProFTPd. Add a line in /etc/proftpd.conf
that reads;
DefaultRoot /home/user/public_html user
That will restrict the users access to only their public_html directory (and
directories below it that they create). They will not be able to cd above
their public_html directory.
I go one additional step and change the users shell to /bin/ftp_only. That
allows them to ftp files and pop their mail, but not telnet or SSH to the
server.
Hope that helps.
Steve Barr
Technology Coordinator
Madison Local School District
> I need some advice on how to manage my web server....
> I work for a school and would like to setup web pages for students....
> I have apache installed and proftpd
> How would I manage the server so that students could have write access
> to their web folder... for example
> jimmy would have this folder as his home page:
> /var/www/students/jimmy
> /var/www/students/jimmy/homepage.html would be his first page
> Anyway.... if his normal home directory is here:
> /home/jimmy
> How do I give him access to write to his web directory via ftp or some
remote way?
> If jimmy was on the lan......then I could easily setup a samba share to
students...
> and he would have write access only to his folder there....but what if
he's outside
> the lan....
> at home......and wants to update his pages.....?
> I was thinking I could change his regular home directory (/home/jimmy to
> /var/www/students/jimmy) via /etc/passwd.... but is that a good idea?
