.Unless I'm missing something-- what's the default admin account once you install twiki. I'm trying to modify some sitewide preferences, but the program tells me that I don't have the rights....This app is fascinating....

-- ScottSyms - 04 Dec 2000

Answer

There is no such thing as a default admin account. Initially everybody can edit any topic. Once up and running you can restrict write access as described in TWikiAccessControl. Check the "Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE" settings in your TWikiPreferences. If set to TWikiAdminGroup check who is in that group.

-- PeterThoeny - 04 Dec 2000

I'm TRYING to do what it says, but I keep getting told that I am not authorized to make changes! Is this a problem in the file permissions, or am I doing something really wrong?

Also, there IS NO .htaccess.txt file where the docs said it would be, and I have NO IDEA how to properly create one so I can turn simple authentication on.

Can someone please guru me a little on this?

-- GwendolynPatton - 08 Dec 2000

Question Clarification

I have the same problem. After following the installation instructions, it is NOT true that everybody can edit any topic. I (and apparently the other users above) are not interested in restricting access, we just want to edit the initial preferences topic ourselves as instructed by the installation directions. I am using Apache on Linux. Please help?

-- TWikiGuest - 24 Dec 2000

What kind of error message do you get?

• Edit is restricted either by topic or by web in case you get a "You do not have permission to change topic" message when clicking on the "Edit" link. More on that at TWikiAccessControl.
• You probably have a file permission problem in case you can edit and preview the topic, but saving does not show the changes. Check the directory permission, as well as the *.txt and *.txt,v file permissions. Make sure that existing topics can be changed by the cgi-bin user (usually user "nobody") and new topics can be created.

The .htaccess.txt is located in the twiki/bin directory.

-- PeterThoeny - 29 Dec 2000

Further specify question

I have the same problem after an idiot proof standard install. The symptoms are as in explanation 1) above (can't proceed right after clicking edit). 2) doesn't apply instead (everything is wide open) Solution as suggested in 1) above leads to infinite recursion: to edit site level preferences I need to change ALLOWTOPICCHANGE which can be done only by editing site level preferences and so on. Please enlighten us. Too outstanding a tool to give up. (platform is Apache/Linux). Thanks. (I changed the SupportStatus, I hope I did the right thing)

-- TWikiGuest - 11 Apr 2001

The TWiki 01 Dec 200 version has * Set DENYWEBCHANGE = %MAINWEB%.TWikiGuest in WebPreferences of the TWiki.TWiki web. It means that guests are not allowed to change content in the TWiki.TWiki web. All users are guests if you don' have authentication enabled, thus nobody can edit topics in the TWiki.TWiki web. There is a backdoor to get out of this chicken and egg problem (if you are the admin) : Telnet or SSH to the machine and edit the preferences topic to remove the text after * Set DENYWEBCHANGE =

If you installed TWiki and enabled authentication you (the admin) can add yourself to the TWikiAdminGroup. In case you edit the TWikiPreferences topic to restrict change of this topic to the TWikiAdminGroup before you added yourself to the TWikiAdminGroup you shut yourself out of editing this topic.

-- PeterThoeny - 12 Mar 2001