the permissions are most likely the problem - though it's not a matter where the file sits, it's about who owns the file you want to read and which mode is set on it.
if it's the same user, anything including reading should work (644 for example). if it's owned by another user, just give read-permission to world, again, 644 should do.

it's not about permissions on your cgi-script.

Where is this directory:

/dep/abc/def/<varing-name>/*.log

in relationship to your root directory?

Do the folders also have proper read/write/exe permissions?

My apache running as "nobody" and group "nobody"

My files are in "root" and "root"

I have permissions for 755 755 for all the files and directories.

Still I get permission denied problem..

Can you give me httpd.conf entry for accessing a directory and file in that directory.

I hvae entry in httpd.conf file as

<Directory "/dep/abc/def/">
Options All
AllowOverride None
Options ExecCGI FollowSymLinks Indexes
Order allow,deny
Allow from all
</Directory>

and my files are in /dep/abc/def/#*$! directory
in which my /dep/abc/def is the base directory and the #*$!/filename will be varying depend on the user selecting it

I have function as

sub get_log_content {
my $fullFilename = shift;
my @contents;
my $error=0;
open(FILE, $fullFilename) ¦¦ ($error = 1);
if ($error) {
push @contents, "$fullFilename File Open Error: $!";
return @contents;
}
while (<FILE>) {
push @contents, $_;
}
close(FILE);
return @contents;
}

When I call these function it returns

/dep/abc/def/#*$!/yyy.log File Open Error: Permission denied

all the path have permission 755, own is root and group is root

and apache is running as nobody and nobody

I was able to open a file only in / & /var/www/cgi-bin & /var/www/html locations and not able to access anywhere else

Please help me out

[edited by: phranque at 1:56 pm (utc) on Feb. 7, 2009]
[edit reason] disabled graphic smileys ;) [/edit]