Hi,
Please could someone tell me the difference between 'default-settings.php' and 'settings.php'?

Thanks,
Mickey

Comments

bdawg8569’s picture

At first i think these files may be the exact same. I think that the default.settings.php file is there in case you need to revert back to the default settings. I'm not sure if ever uses it tho. I think it always uses settings.php and if you were to revert it would just copy the default.settings.php file and make it the new settings.php file.

yelvington’s picture

In Drupal 6, default-settings.php is the original file, and Drupal uses it to create the settings.php file when you do an installation. There is no settings.php in the tarball, so when you do an upgrade, you won't clobber your changes. This was not the case in previous versions of Drupal and it was all too easy to wipe out your system settings.

robertDouglass’s picture

Drupal needs a settings.php to be able to load a site. Until one exists it assumes that the site hasn't been installed.

- Robert Douglass

-----
my Drupal book

24240263’s picture

Thanks everyone, that clears that up for me.

Best Wishes,
Mickey

Trulyana’s picture

How can you delete this file?

I just unistalled drupal, and now these files won't allow me to delete them. How would I get round them, and delete them?

yelvington’s picture

Files that Drupal creates are owned by the webserver. Depending on how your webhost is configured, you might need technical help from your hosting company, or you might be able to remove them from a control panel interface. (Me? I just log in as root.)

Trulyana’s picture

Whereabouts would you find them on the control panel? Are you referring to the control panel at your host? Or some other control panel?

-Anti-’s picture

> How can you delete this file?

For security (and safety against accidental deletion), the /sites directory and all the folders an files in it are usually periodically, automatically 'chmodded' to 555 by drupal. In any ftp program or in the cpanel filemanager (or whatever filemanager you have in your webhost backend), you should be able to chmod the /sites directory (and all the folders/files in it) to 755. This will allow you to delete them.

Trulyana’s picture

They have been on 755. Everytime I attempt to delete the directory and all the folders and files in it. I receive the following red statement:

550 Can't remove directory. Permission Denied

-Anti-’s picture

> They have been on 755

You have to individually chmod every folder and file in there, *including* the /sites directory itself.

One single folder or file which doesn't have the correct permission will cause the entire delete command to fail completely. If you're absolutely sure everything has the correct chmod, what software are you using?

Trulyana’s picture

You are right. I missed one key folder, as it was on 555.

My ignorance in desperation of solving the issue, missed that one.

I have just re-installed drupal on a new fresh database, and feel more aware.. Thank you.

-Anti-’s picture

> My ignorance in desperation of solving the issue, missed that one.

Happens to me all the time; I make edits in settings.php and then get an error when I try to upload the new version - doh! I don't know when Drupal decides to reset the permission to 550. Either it is on each cron run, or simply surfing the site a little sporadically triggers security-checks.

FYI, depending on your ftp software, there might be an option in your chmod settings to recursively chmod all sub-folders and files within a parent directory. So I only have to chmod the /sites directory and my ftp client zaps the directory itself and everything below it.

Glad you solved it anyway.