FTP to Apache Web directory

I am just getting started with Linux so excuse my ignorance. I have tried to look up the answer in several books but although the concept is understood I am at a loss as to what strategy to use to move HTML, php, jpg, etc files to the web serving folder. I have an Apache Web directory at the location: /usr/local/apache/htdocs/ This directory is owned by root with 755 permissions. I am the only one using this server. What I would like to do is to develop files on my Mac (or Windows) and directly ftp files to the Apache Web directory to perform updates. However, to do so I would have to be root. And, I cannot ftp to the server as root from my ftp client using the user name "root". How can I set securely set things up so I can add, update, delete files from the main Web file directory with some account other than root? How do others handle this? Use the "public_html" folder of a user account? Move files to one's account and then move again to the Apache Web directory while logged in as root? Seems like a wasted step in there but I suppose a script could expedite the process. What am I missing here? Michael -- Michael Collins, Lead Programmer ADVANCED DATABASE SYSTEMS INC _______________________________ Michael_Collins@database-systems.com http://www.database-systems.com v: 206-417-4816 f: 503-212-5677