Users with multiple missing directories may get an error like this on install:
The directory sites/default/files does not exist. The directory sites/default/private/files does not exist. The directory sites/default/private/temp does not exist. An automated attempt to create this directory failed, possibly due to a permissions problem. To proceed with the installation, either create the directory and modify its permissions manually or ensure that the installer has the permissions to create it automatically. For more information, see INSTALL.txt or the online handbook.

Suggested improvement:

  • Use something besides a complete sentence for each missing directory. A bulleted or comma-separated list may be better.
  • Subject/object agreement problems: if multiple directories are missing, then it should say "automated attempt to create these directories..."

Comments

David_Rothstein’s picture

David_Rothstein commented

Hm, I can't follow the chain of duplicate issues here - seems the other issues that mentioned this are all now marked duplicate of this one? :)

Anyway, I'd suggest getting rid of the list and the "either/or" thing entirely, and just tell them to make sites/default writable so the installer can take care of the rest...

aren cambre’s picture

aren cambre commented

While that is appealingly simple, it would only work if Drupal's preferred permissions is right for all sites. Plus wouldn't this break down on other OSes where Drupal may not be able to manage permissions, like Windows?

David_Rothstein’s picture

David_Rothstein commented

I'm not positive, but I believe that on any operating system, if you (manually) set the correct permissions on sites/default, the Drupal installer should be able to create files and directories in it.

I'm not sure how many sites really need different permissions than what the installer creates on the files directory by default, but even so, I'm not sure that means we need to mention it in the UI? As long as the help message is linking them to the correct online docs (e.g., http://drupal.org/server-permissions) that's probably good enough to be able to take some detail out of the on-screen message.

aren cambre’s picture

aren cambre commented

I assumed that Drupal would lower permissions from all-writeable. I think all-writeable on that entire subtree would be a security hole.

David_Rothstein’s picture

David_Rothstein commented

It tries to after it's done writing to it, and if it can't, it warns you that you ought to do it yourself.

David_Rothstein’s picture

David_Rothstein commented
Version: 7.0-alpha1 » 7.x-dev

I marked #698058: D7: Installation "File system" warning text better laid out as duplicate.

aren cambre’s picture

aren cambre commented
Issue tags: +Usability

Add usability because this problem makes Drupal harder to use.

David_Rothstein’s picture

David_Rothstein commented

Looks like recent core changes means this bug won't occur for standard Drupal installations (because the private files directory is not created anymore).

Looking at the code in http://api.drupal.org/api/function/system_requirements/7 I think it can still be an issue if people have configured private files in their settings.php file before installation, though. Still worth fixing, but maybe lower priority now.

Status: Active » Closed (outdated)

Automatically closed because Drupal 7 security and bugfix support has ended as of 5 January 2025. If the issue verifiably applies to later versions, please reopen with details and update the version.