If you need to set the correct permissions for UNA CMS, run this command:

#!/bin/bash
# Move into the 'una' directory
cd una

# Change the owner of all files and folders to 'www-data' (the default web server user)
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data .

# Set permissions for all directories to 755:
# 7 = read (4) + write (2) + execute (1) for the owner
# 5 = read (4) + execute (1) for the group
# 5 = read (4) + execute (1) for others
sudo find ./ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

# Set permissions for all files to 644:
# 6 = read (4) + write (2) for the owner
# 4 = read (4) for the group
# 4 = read (4) for others
sudo find ./ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

# Give execute permission to ffmpeg.exe (because it’s an executable file)
sudo chmod +x ./plugins/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.exe

# Show confirmation message
echo "Permissions successfully set."

If that doesn’t work, try this more permissive version:

#!/bin/bash
# Move into the 'una' directory
cd una

# Change the owner of all files and folders to 'www-data'
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data .

# Set permissions for all directories to 775:
# 7 = read (4) + write (2) + execute (1) for the owner
# 7 = read (4) + write (2) + execute (1) for the group
# 5 = read (4) + execute (1) for others
sudo find . -type d -exec chmod 775 {} \;

# Set permissions for all files to 644:
# 6 = read (4) + write (2) for the owner
# 4 = read (4) for the group
# 4 = read (4) for others
sudo find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

# Give execute permission to ffmpeg.exe
sudo chmod +x ./plugins/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.exe

# Show confirmation message
echo "Permissions successfully set."

Explanation of the permission numbers:

In Linux, file permissions are represented by a three-digit number:

• The first digit is for the owner
• The second digit is for the group
• The third digit is for others (everyone else)

Each digit is a combination of:

• 4 = read permission
• 2 = write permission
• 1 = execute permission

You add them together to get the desired permissions.

Examples:

• 7 = 4 (read) + 2 (write) + 1 (execute) = read, write, execute
• 6 = 4 (read) + 2 (write) = read, write
• 5 = 4 (read) + 1 (execute) = read, execute
• 4 = read only

Permissions we’re using:

• 755 for directories:
• Owner can read/write/execute
• Group can read/execute
• Others can read/execute
• Why? So the web server can access directories, and users can navigate them, but only the owner can write to them.
• 775 for directories (alternative if group write is needed):
• Owner and group can read/write/execute
• Others can read/execute
• This is slightly more open for collaborative setups.
• 644 for files:
• Owner can read/write
• Group and others can only read
• Prevents unauthorized users from modifying files while allowing the web server to read them.
• +x for executables like ffmpeg.exe:
• Makes the file executable for the owner, group, and others
• Required for scripts or binaries that need to run.

⚠️ Why not use 777?

• 777 = read/write/execute for everyone (owner, group, others)
• It’s insecure because anyone can modify or delete your files.
• Okay for local testing, but a terrible idea for live public servers.

Cheap servers for testing UNA:

If you want something affordable to test UNA, check Hetzner Cloud:

https://www.hetzner.com/cloud/

Their cloud servers are fast, reliable, and cheap.

⚠️ Do not use shared hosting packages if they don’t give you sudo or root access, which is required for UNA.