Question

.Ok, I can restrict pages from being edited by setting 'ALLOWTOPICCHANGE' to a user or group just fine. But when I set 'ALLOWWEBVIEW' to a user or group on a web's WebPreferences page, I get a 'you can't see this page' message despite that the user who is specified in 'ALLOWWEBVIEW' was the one who made the change! Luckily I can 'back' to the edit screen and revert, but I'm a little lost here.

HendrikBoom seems to have had the same problem in CurrentStateOfReadAccessPermission but I couldn't find a resolution.

• TWiki version: 01 Dec 2001
• Web server: Apache
• Server OS: RedHat 7.1
• Web browser: IE5
• Client OS: Win2K

-- MattWalsh - 17 Jan 2002

Answer

This is most likely because you are not authenticated when you look at a topic. Solution, one of:

• Authenticate also the view script (but then, users need to log in also for browsing).
• Enable user tracking by IP address in TWiki.cfg, make a symbolic link of viewauth to view, and authenticate viewauth. Check out the TWiki docs for more.
• Do session tracking. See related plugins.

-- PeterThoeny - 19 Jan 2002

Similar Question

I have had a similar problem, but I have not seen any final resolution to it in this Support web.

On a new or existing Web, I set all the other ALLOW settings to a specific group. For example, on the Preferences page for the web,

      * Set DENYWEBVIEW = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = 
      * Set DENYWEBCHANGE = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBCHANGE = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup
      * Set DENYWEBRENAME = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBRENAME = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup

   * Users or groups allowed to change or rename this <nop>%TOPIC% topic: (I.e. %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup)
      * Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup
      * Set ALLOWTOPICRENAME = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup

In this case, as a user listed in TWikiAdminGroup, I am able to view pages on the web, as well as change those pages. This makes sense and complies with the documentation that I have on it.

However, with the WebPreferences setting as follows:

      * Set DENYWEBVIEW = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBVIEW = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup
      * Set DENYWEBCHANGE = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBCHANGE = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup
      * Set DENYWEBRENAME = 
      * Set ALLOWWEBRENAME = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup

   * Users or groups allowed to change or rename this <nop>%TOPIC% topic: (I.e. %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup)
      * Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup
      * Set ALLOWTOPICRENAME = %MAINWEB%.TWikiAdminGroup

I am unable to view the page, although I am still known as a user in the TWikiAdminGroup.

Any ideas?

-- RaymondLutz - 12 Sep 2003

This is most probably because the view script assumes that you are a guest. See TWikiUserAuthentication#Authentication_Options

-- PeterThoeny - 13 Sep 2003