Why hp apache generating logs on hpux having permissions 600 ?

[Shivkumar]

Dear Sirs;

We are running HP Apache on HPUX. The apache is being configured to run as "www" user. Apache starts as a "root" user but switches to run as a "www" user.

The access and error logs files are generated having permissions as 600 and as a result other users can't access it and i need to change it manually every time. Writing shell script to change the logs permissions and running it as a cron job doesn't seems to be a viable option here. I changed the umask value on the box as 022 but it didn't help.

Can someone suggest why apache is generating logs having permissions 600 and how to fix it ?

Thanks,
Shiv

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

Apache is run by a non-priviledged user for security concerns.

Over the years people have used buffer overload and other hacks to get priviledges on the machine running apache. Its best when this happens that the user not be root.

Your log permissions are probably being determined by umask set in /etc/profile or .profile

SEP

[Henk Geurts]

hi Shiv
did you also check the .profile of the www-user for a umask ?
edit it or add it ....
let me know .
regards.
Henk

[Marvin Strong]

What was the umask before you changed it to 022?

I would guess that the running www user process is still using the old umask. Since it already sourced it once.

Or that the umask is being set somewhere along the lines.

[Shivkumar]

Marvin; Earlier umask was 077. I changed it 022 now. The /etc/profile still has the permission as 077. I changed umask value using command line umask 022.

Thanks!!
Shiv

[morganelan]

I think you must add umask in /etc/profile with example adding this line to this file :
# Set umask
umask 022

After this your apache log file will be created with 644 mode.