above root? im confused!
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Topic: above root? im confused!
Posted By: MadDog
Subject: above root? im confused!
Date Posted: 14 February 2006 at 2:25am
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I remember about a year ago there was a post about someone being hacked and few people got me all confused the about the term "above root" when talking about a database. Just about everyone uses the term "above root" to keep it out of the HTTP view, but i call it BELOW the root. This is how i look at it. When in Windows Explorer i would work my way to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\websites, now if i went to C:\inetpub\_private i would be clicking the back bottom, and i call that going below the root, not above the root. Another way to look at it: C:\Inetpub\_private is the secured directory C:\Inetpub\wwwroot is the website directory When viewing it listed that way, it is above, but when coding it i would consider it below the root since im not righting the path to something like C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\_private. Also when using "../" in paths, i consider it going BELOW the directory, not going ABOVE the directory. Maybe i just see things different, but i just dont see how you can say putting a database *above* the root is secure, when i think putting it *below* the directory is secure. Ive been thinking about this for almost a year now and it drives me crazy just about every day. What the hell is not clicking in my head to not agree with the term "above root" when i think its "below root"?????  ------------- http://www.iportalx.net" rel="nofollow"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: Mart
Date Posted: 14 February 2006 at 7:20am
| I guess because it is above C:\inetpub\wwwroot\websites\ in the directory tree, but it really makes no difference what term you use |
Posted By: michael
Date Posted: 14 February 2006 at 2:32pm
I agree, you are drilling "down" into a directory structure so you would drill up or out to the above folder. It really depends how you look at it and don't think it will ever become a felony to use it the other way around but hey. What troubles me is that you have been thinking about this for year...what a waste of time  ------------- http://baumannphoto.com" rel="nofollow - Blog | http://mpgtracker.com" rel="nofollow - MPG Tracker |
Posted By: ub3rl337ch3ch
Date Posted: 14 February 2006 at 9:36pm
| its more than just worrying... you seriously need a hobby dog... |
Posted By: dpyers
Date Posted: 15 February 2006 at 12:44am
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I think "root" is a misnomer. Most hosting accounts have an account/ftp root that can have multiple web roots under it - one for each domain or subdomain. People commonly refer to a web root as "root" but it's just a subdirectory of their account/ftp root. When they refer to "above root", their talking about going up into the account/ftp root. ------------- 
Lead me not into temptation... I know the short cut, follow me. |
Posted By: MadDog
Date Posted: 15 February 2006 at 3:56am
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Its not that i need a hobby or im crazy for thinking about it all the time, but i do have to deal with people everyday setting up websites using Access and im always unsure if i should tell them above the root or below the root. I guess a lot of people look at it differently. ------------- http://www.iportalx.net" rel="nofollow">
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