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.

I didn't understand. How did you solve the problem?

I'm glad I could help you. Save as a file if you need further help to restore UNA permissions set_permissions.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Filename: set_permissions.sh

# Move into the 'una' directory
cd una || { echo "Directory 'una' not found!"; exit 1; }

# Change the owner of all files and folders to 'www-data'
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 (since it's an executable)
sudo chmod +x ./plugins/ffmpeg/ffmpeg.exe

# Go back to the previous directory
cd ..

# Set this script's owner to 'root' and permissions to 755
# If you want, replace 'root' below with your SSH username
sudo chown root:root set_permissions.sh
sudo chmod +x set_permissions.sh

# Display confirmation message
echo "Permissions successfully set. Script permissions preserved."

How to use:

Option 1: Using nano

1. Create the file:

nano set_permissions.sh

1. Paste the code from above.
2. Save and close:

• Press CTRL+O, then Enter to save.
• Press CTRL+X to exit.

Option 2: Using vim

1. Create the file:

vim set_permissions.sh

1. Press i to enter Insert mode.
2. Paste the code from above.
3. Save and close:

• Press ESC
• Type :wq
• Press Enter

Final steps:

• Make the script executable:

sudo chmod +x set_permissions.sh

• Run it anytime to restore your file and folder permissions:

./set_permissions.sh

✅ What this script does:

• Sets the correct ownership (www-data:www-data) and permissions for your una/ project.
• Makes sure ffmpeg.exe stays executable.
• Preserves its own permissions as root:root with 755, so it’s always ready to use safely.

📁 Directory Structure

your_project/
├── set_permissions.sh   ← This script is here
└── una/                 ← The UNA CMS directory

Happy coding! 🚀