that UNIX permissions thing again -- sort of

Hi, all -- I promise I'm not asking the same old question :-) Our image gallery application takes a directory tree of images uploaded by the user and then does all sorts of magic to make thumbnails, track comments, and so on. The only thing owned by the user is the directory tree and its contents; everything else is owned by the web server ID. All of this works well until a user wants to change the name of a subtree in the source directory; all of the 'nails are "lost" (since they're now unrelated to the source tree, and they just hang around taking up space), and even worse all of the comments are lost. The problem, of course, is that the user can't rename the cache directory and the web server can't rename the source directory. Has anyone already solved this problem -- preferably without reeking too terribly of a kludge? We've already thought of a script that the user calls which renames the cache side and then says "OK, so *now* go and rename the source side with ftp like you would anyway" but that's not pretty by any stretch. I just can't get past the concept that we're mixing user ID and web server ID and that you just can't. Of course, if the same old question ("How do I have the web server do things in a user way?") has finally been answered, please let me know ;-) TIA & HAND :-D -- David T-G * It's easier to fight for one's principles (play) davidtg@justpickone.org * than to live up to them. -- fortune cookie (work) davidtgwork@justpickone.org http://www.justpickone.org/davidtg/ Shpx gur Pbzzhavpngvbaf Qrprapl Npg!