Question

I am not able to save modified (TWiki Sile Level Preferences) http://xxxx.com/twiki/bin/viewauth/TWiki/TWikiPreferences

I've tried many things to solve the issue to no avail. I am getting always the following message on the screen: Access Denied

Attention Access check on TWikiPreferences failed. Action "in": TWiki::Plugins::PreferencesPlugin.

Contact webmaster@examplePLEASENOSPAM.com if you have any questions.

Related topics: TWikiGroups, TWikiAccessControl

==================== Details:

A) 'configure' is squeaky clean

B) I AM a member of the TWikiAdminGroup http://xxxx.com/twiki/bin/view/Main/TWikiAdminGroup "cut&paste" from the screen: TWiki Administrator Group * Member list: o Set GROUP = FirstnameLastname * Persons/group who can change the list: o Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = TWikiAdminGroup

Environment

-- IgorFurlan - 13 Aug 2006

Answer

That is an odd error message. To debug try to disable the PreferencesPlugin.

-- PeterThoeny - 16 Aug 2006

Any luck? It looks like you can edit the TWiki.TWikiPreferences topic, so you are recognized as an admin. In any case, do not edit TWiki.TWikiPreferences, do all customized settings in Main.TWikiPreferences to allow an easier upgrade down the road.

Other thing to check: Is the save script authenticated? Check your bin/.htaccess file.

-- PeterThoeny - 17 Aug 2006

Thanks for the reply. I was ... hmmm... let's say, partially successful.Yes, I can save the changes in TWikiPreferences after I've enabled .htaccess file. So far, so good... but.. that is NOT my main goal.

My main goal can be reduced as follows:

---

only ONE person should be able to change the look&feel of the TWiki main page (top of the page, bottom of the page and left side of the page). I do not mind if I have to enter login+password to do the work.

BUT

- ALL other parts of the page (aka web in TWiki parlance) should be editable by anybody WITHOUT registration and /or login/password. I consider this approach the simplest for the user. It follows the WikiCulture:

---

Open, free form editing is the essence of WikiCulture - what makes TWiki different and often more effective than other collaboration tools. For that reason, it is strongly recommended that decisions to restrict read or write access to a web or a topic are made with great care - the more restrictions, the less Wiki in the mix. Experience shows that unrestricted write access works very well because:

* Peer influence is enough to ensure that only relevant content is posted. * Peer editing - the ability for anyone to rearrange all content on a page - keeps topics focus

---

After I've activated .htaccess a non registered user (aka TWikiGuest) CAN NOT edit the web without entering a login and password (aka he/she needs to be registered)

Yes, I have 'none' selected in configure. Yes, I've played with preferences. I could not figure out how to do it. I have the feeling I am running in circles.

Any hint, pointer to RTFM or any advice is very welcome.

Igor

-- IgorFurlan - 22 Aug 2006

It's totally unclear what you are trying to do. The "uneditable" parts of a page are defined in the templates. If those templates %INCLUDE topics to define the top, bottom and left - as indeed patternSkin does to define the left menu - then you can set the access controls on those topics as you wish. Anyone accessing the TWiki without logging in is identified as "TWikiGuest", so all you have to do is set your access controls to permit TWikiGuest write access to all topics except those that contain the content for the top and bottom of pages.

BTW you are recommended not to edit TWiki.TWikiPreferences. Use Main.TWikiPreferences for site level preferences instead, as TWiki.TWikiPreferences will be overwritten on your next upgrade.

-- CrawfordCurrie - 23 Aug 2006

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