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File Permissions issue with sftp

January 23, 2023 at 10:33 pm #9141

[anonymous]

Last week my website was transferred to a new platform. From then on, Publii throws an error when testing the sftp connection to the server:

‘Error.Application was able to connect with your server but was unable to store files. Please check file permissions on your server’ .

Since Filezilla works fine, the problem seems to be with Publii, or with settings at my web hosting company. Their help desk made some suggestions, especially about the remote path to set, but none of them helped.

This problem is also mentioned in a topic on this forum that is closed to replies. There the solution had to do with SSH. Could it be that the version my web hosting company uses is not compatible with Publii? My web host uses OpenSSH_8.4p1 Debian-5+deb11u1.

Anyone have suggestions that might lead to the solution?

January 24, 2023 at 10:03 pm #9146

[anonymous]

I was having the same issue with a Netlify instance (actually twice). I got the same error message although the server was fine. Once it came out of nowhere, and the other time it occured after my laptop crashed while syncing my website.

I just tried syncing on a different pc (desktop) and it worked somehow. Not sure, but it may be that an older version of Publii was running on the desktop.

January 24, 2023 at 10:32 pm #9147

[anonymous]

Hi Gyges,

I’m using the latest version of Publii on my MacBook Air with M2 processor. But I will try to connect with my server from a Windows PC. It’s worth the try, I guess.

January 28, 2023 at 4:22 pm #9152

[anonymous]

Hey <span class=”f-author-name”>rhertogs</span>,

I reveived your message via email, but it doesn’t show up here somehow…
So it worked on your windows laptop?

January 28, 2023 at 4:24 pm #9153

[anonymous]

I’m getting this error: Failed to load plugin: wpdialogs from url https://forum.getpublii.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wpdialogs/plugin.min.js

January 28, 2023 at 6:51 pm #9156

[anonymous]

Hi Gyges,

Yes, on a Windows laptop the latest version of Publii works flawless with the platform of my webhosting company.

After that I’ve tested the latest version of Publii on my Mac with the ftp-servers from some of my clients (other webhosting companies then mine). Publii works flawlessly there too. So my webhosting company seems to have a problem with sftp-connection with a Mac on their new platform. They have promised to look into it. I’ll keep you posted!

January 29, 2023 at 12:12 pm #9159

[anonymous]

I think it’s rather a Publii bug, since it occurs on some OS (Linux here), but on others it does not. Also it occurs with ftp and Netlify.

January 29, 2023 at 7:48 pm #9176

[anonymous]

Hi,

Maybe it is issue with SFTP protocol – but as I see – we are using the latest version of ssh2-sftp-client node module, so probably it is nothing obvious like old version of the package.

rhertogs – if you will be able to spot a reason of this issue with your hosting company – it would be also great 🙂 The mentioned error occurs when Publii successfully connects to the server and then tries to write and remove test file (called publii.test) on the server. If write or remove operation fails – it returns such message. If you see on your server publii.test file, it can suggest that remove operation failed.

January 29, 2023 at 10:22 pm #9186

[anonymous]

Hi Tomasz,

I checked the ftp-server. No sign of the file ‘publii.test’ in the subdomain where Publii tries to connect to.

January 30, 2023 at 3:46 pm #9192

[anonymous]

Hi rhertogs,

So in this case, we probably must wait for reply from your hosting – maybe it is some specific case.

You can also try to check if you have something useful under Tools -> Log Viewer -> deployment-*.log files (you can attach them as private reply)

January 30, 2023 at 9:35 pm #9200

[anonymous]

This reply has been marked as private.

January 31, 2023 at 12:25 am #9204

[anonymous]

Hi rhertogs – what kind of authentication method are you using?

SSH with key or password?

If you are using SSH with key – which algorithm is used in this key?

January 31, 2023 at 10:08 am #9207

[anonymous]

Hi Tomasz,

I have tried both and both failed. I use ed25519 with the ssh key method.

February 2, 2023 at 9:40 pm #9232

[anonymous]

In this case I suppose that we need some feedback from your hosting company :/

February 2, 2023 at 10:20 pm #9235

[anonymous]

Unfortunately, all their tips and attempts turned out to be dead ends. The same goes for my own attempts to solve this problem. I think I’m going to uninstall Publii and all the files it leaves on my Macbook and reinstall Publii and restore the websites with the backups. Kind of a desperate attempt, but who knows, it might help…

February 2, 2023 at 10:26 pm #9236

[anonymous]

I think it won’t help.

Are you able to create a test account for me on your hosting and provide me temporary test access data in a private reply?

February 2, 2023 at 11:20 pm #9237

[anonymous]

As it looks now, I solved it myself. I went through the entire thread of Publii, taking my own attempts and schools of thought, and came to the conclusion that this must be something from my individual Macbook. A corrupt file or something. I don’t know if this is of any help to you, but I’ll just mention what I did that led to the solution. it’s unfortunately a case of ‘it worked, but don’t ask me why’.

I deleted the Publii folder in the Library folder of my home directory in the Application Support folder on my Macbook. That creates much the same situation as a fresh install of the app, completely without settings, preferences, and so on.

Then with a backup I made earlier from Publii, I restored the website in Publii. Publii then seemed to be able to synchronize the website, but it kept hanging somewhere along the way. I ended up putting the original Publii folder back into the Application Support folder.

This restored the original situation, including not being able to connect to the sftp server, you would say. Only now it worked miraculously. A test with a few small text changes and synchronization was successful. I really can’t explain it, but I’m glad it works.

I hope these are the last words we have to devote to this. Thanks for thinking along!