file permissions with apache and symbolic links to an ntfs filesystem

[Veni_Vidi_Vici]

Hello,

I have a website I keep locally on my machine, which dual boots win7 and ubuntu 11.04.

In windows, I have windows/php/mysql installed an configured. My site is in the www folder so when I lookup localhost/myfile.php it redirects to my site.

I have apache mysql and php installed in ubuntu, and they too work perfectly.

However, I want to modify the same files in either system without having to make a copy each time I change them. I tried putting a symbolic link to my www/mysite windows directory inside of my ubuntu /var/www directory but when I try to open /var/www/mysitesymboliclink I get an apache error saying I don't have permission to access the files/directory.

Naturally I tried modifying the permissions of the link, but they don't stick. Either from GUI or command line - they just revert back. And The same goes if I try to modify the files that the link points to (probably because it's an ntfs system?)

So if anyone knows a way around this, thanks. I save a lot of disk space linking (especially with wine/steam) but apache seems to make me sad.

Thanks,
Veni

[Veni_Vidi_Vici]

After looking around a bit, I see something in the /etc/apache2/sites-available/default file that says

<Directory /var/www/>
	Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
	AllowOverride None
	Order allow,deny
	allow from all
</Directory>

The FollowSymLinks seems to make me think that my permissions on the actual files in the ntfs directory (the one im linking to) are what I need to try and change. I did a sudo chmod 755 /media/myntfs/partition/and/symlink/directory but It still doesn't seem to make my system happy... the permissions won't stay, they immediately revert.

[zackwasa]

What error do you get in the error logs?

Check if all sub-directories under /media(including /media) have 755 permissions so the path to the symlink is readable by apache

[Veni_Vidi_Vici]

Where are the error logs located? And if it's of any help the browser error when I try to display my files is 403:forbidden.

But if I change the permission from the file properties or via chmod 755, my windows C:/ partition in media will not change permissions. it is stuck on 700 so only root has any access. chmod doesn't give me an error, it simply doesn't work for my windows partition.

edit: upon further inspection, my steam directory in windows also has 700 permissions, but wine can still read it. I guess it's just apache that can't handle the 700 permission?

edit2: apparently I need to change the permissions upon mounting as described here. I will attempt to do so and see if that fixes my problem. opensuse.swerdna. org/susentfs.html

edit3: Success! Apparently you can only change the permissions upon mounting the ntfs partition, if anyone else was wondering.