WordPress Permissions Configuration Script

wp-permissions-script

#!/bin/bash
#
# This script configures WordPress file permissions based on recommendations
# from http://codex.wordpress.org/Hardening_WordPress#File_permissions
#
# Author: Michael Conigliaro
#
WP_OWNER=changeme # <-- wordpress owner
WP_GROUP=changeme # <-- wordpress group
WP_ROOT=/home/changeme # <-- wordpress root directory
WS_GROUP=changeme # <-- webserver group
 
# reset to safe defaults
find ${WP_ROOT} -exec chown ${WP_OWNER}:${WP_GROUP} {} \;
find ${WP_ROOT} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
find ${WP_ROOT} -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;
 
# allow wordpress to manage wp-config.php (but prevent world access)
chgrp ${WS_GROUP} ${WP_ROOT}/wp-config.php
chmod 660 ${WP_ROOT}/wp-config.php
 
# allow wordpress to manage .htaccess
touch ${WP_ROOT}/.htaccess
chgrp ${WS_GROUP} ${WP_ROOT}/.htaccess
chmod 664 ${WP_ROOT}/.htaccess
 
# allow wordpress to manage wp-content
find ${WP_ROOT}/wp-content -exec chgrp ${WS_GROUP} {} \;
find ${WP_ROOT}/wp-content -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;
find ${WP_ROOT}/wp-content -type f -exec chmod 664 {} \;

I'm on docker and had permission issues when trying to update or install a plugin.
I used this script with this config and want to leave some pointer as this issue might not be obvious to others, especially WS_GROUP. At least, it wasn't for me.

WP_OWNER=my_user_on_host_machine
WP_GROUP=my_user_group_on_host_machine # same name as previous in my case
WP_ROOT=/path/to/wordpress/src
WS_GROUP=http # docker web user on host machine

http is the apache process created by Docker in my host. I can see http in ps aux when the Docker WordPress container is running.

Curiously however, when I go inside the Docker container running WordPress (guest), I see the web user is www-data. The WordPress image I'm running is wordpress:5.4-php7.3-apache.

At any rate, my permission issues went away with the config above, with http.

The number of times I have come back to this page is insane lol.

Landed here to fix a perm issue, so not sure if 1) I messed up script somehow haha, absolutely possible, 2) think the mess up may be still trying to wrap my head around litespeed entirely! Anyone have more wisdom than I? Seems nobody is WS_GROUP as default script has, but ran script and still issues with images not showing, but after script site has critical error... Setting back to basic 755 / 644 brings it back, but things are still not loading and running strange. I has suspicion it is a secret "easy" perms thing though since this is all after fooling around migrating sites somewhat.... 🤦 Any insights would helpful!

Thanks for the work on the script, and the comments everyone!

Addon: Oh yea, other issue I believe, is the .htaccess couldn't be accessed by litespeed... So setting chgrp on .htaccess to WS not good fro litespeed? Or I possible have wrong WS group... right?

​# reset to safe defaults
chown -R ${WP_OWNER}:${WP_GROUP} $WP_ROOT;
chmod -R 644 $WP_ROOT;
chcon -R system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 $WP_ROOT;
find ${WP_ROOT} -type d -exec chmod -R 755 {} ;

​# allow wordpress to manage wp-content
chmod -R 664 $WP_ROOT/wp-content;
chcon -R system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_rw_content_t:s0 $WP_ROOT/wp-content;
find ${WP_ROOT}/wp-content -type d -exec chmod -R 775 {} ;

porthos-co, I really like your updated version, but I found an issue in two places. See the two bolded/italicized lines above. Under the headings "reset to safe defaults" and "allow wordpress to manage wp-content", you set the permissions on all files and directories recursively to 644 and 664, then you use find to identify directories and change their permissions to 755 and 775. However, the -R flag on the chmod command results in 755 and 775 being applied recursively, which includes all files. This overwrites the 644 and 664 permissions set two lines above.

If you remove the -R flag from the chmod commands, the directories are correctly set to 755 and 775 while leaving the files at 644 and 664, which is what we want.

Updated code:

# reset to safe defaults
chown -R ${WP_OWNER}:${WP_GROUP} $WP_ROOT;
chmod -R 644 $WP_ROOT;
chcon -R system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 $WP_ROOT;
find ${WP_ROOT} -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;   # REMOVED -R FROM THIS LINE

# allow wordpress to manage wp-content
chmod -R 664 $WP_ROOT/wp-content;
chcon -R system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_rw_content_t:s0 $WP_ROOT/wp-content;
find ${WP_ROOT}/wp-content -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;   # REMOVED -R FROM THIS LINE

Thanks to everyone for the various versions of this helpful script!

So, what is the final version of this? Someone forked it so that all improvements are included?