If you have the e-smith SME server from Mitel Networks and have installed Moodle, then you may run into a problem with uploaded files.
I had someone call me from a college in Bristol with a problem...although they could apparently upload files ok, and create directories (both in the site files area and in individual courses), the files and directories would never appear. The file list would be empty. Ditto with uploaded userpix (avatars).
We assumed that the items were being created or uploaded ok because if you tried to create or upload an item again you weould get told that it already existed.
I tried the usual change of the file arguments - no joy.
This particular site had moodle installed in the primary information bay, under the html directory, and the files area in another information bay.
As it turns out, e-smith runs with an Open_Basedir restriction in effect, which, at least on this site, meant that moodle was not being allowed to access files outside of the Basedir, which was set up as the primary information bay only.
So I moved the moodledata directory there, (above the html directory, so not accessible from the web), changed config.php to match, checked the file permissions, then went back into moodle...lo and behold, the files area was now visible.
I spent a couple of hours working on this...what should I have done? Of course...check the server logs first! My excuse is that I am not familiar with e-smith SME server
I guess that it might be possible to get around that by telling e-smith to allow executables (PHP and so on) in other information bays, but I haven't checked. Perhaps if anyone else has e-smith they could confirm this?
cheers
Sean K