I set up my Suse 10.2 box as a linux web server. I created a special group called webGroup and added wwwrun(php script) and andrew(me) to it so that the script and I, andrew, can have full access to the public html directory.

I set everything from public_html on down so that owner and group can write. andrew cannot write to anything! When I do the same anywhere else on the filesystem, andrew can write. And no, I don't have any sticky bits set.

What is going on?

could you show us the ls -l on public_html dir?

drwxrwsr-x 13 wwwrun webGroup 1192 2007-02-03 08:55 public_html

-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 138 2006-02-13 06:23 arrowDown.gif
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 2404 2007-02-02 16:34 begin.php
drwxrwxr-x 3 wwwrun webGroup 360 2006-11-06 21:06 Biblical
drwxrwxr-x 2 wwwrun webGroup 80 2006-11-06 21:06 ContactData
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 1922 2006-02-13 06:23 contact.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 8411 2006-02-13 06:23 Copy of userCP.php
drwxr-xr-x 2 wwwrun webGroup 72 2007-02-02 23:20 Counters
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 4699 2006-12-23 19:40 DirBrowser.php
drwxrwxr-x 2 wwwrun webGroup 80 2006-11-06 21:06 Documents
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 579 2007-01-04 23:23 end.php
drwxrwxr-x 8 wwwrun webGroup 360 2006-11-06 21:06 Entertainment
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 12803 2007-01-31 22:09 Functions.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 109 2006-02-13 06:23 GetFileSize.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 7009 2006-02-13 06:23 hFill.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 349 2006-02-13 06:23 hFill.png
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 349 2006-02-13 06:23 hFill_right.png
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 22 2006-02-13 06:23 Ideas.txt
drwxrwxr-x 12 wwwrun webGroup 400 2006-11-06 21:06 Images
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 841 2007-02-02 16:34 index.php
drwxrwxr-x 2 wwwrun webGroup 96 2006-11-06 21:06 Info
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 3798141 2006-02-13 06:23 InsideEm01.img
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 1494 2006-02-13 06:23 login.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 25809 2006-02-13 06:23 Logo.img
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 535 2006-02-13 06:23 logout.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 23378 2006-02-13 06:23 M51 center flipped_Featur e.jpg
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 1689 2006-02-13 06:23 member.php
drwxr-xr-x 4 wwwrun webGroup 104 2007-02-02 23:25 Members
drwxrwxr-x 3 wwwrun webGroup 104 2007-02-03 08:55 Programming
drwxrwxr-x 6 wwwrun webGroup 424 2006-12-22 19:55 Programs
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 16192 2006-02-13 06:23 Quickey.wav
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 3920 2006-03-01 01:43 register.php
drwxrwxr-x 2 wwwrun webGroup 160 2006-11-06 21:06 Restricted
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 453 2007-01-07 21:02 style1.css
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 1045 2006-02-13 06:23 Terms.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 667 2006-02-13 06:23 uploadSug.php
-rw-rw-r-- 1 wwwrun webGroup 3719 2006-12-23 18:13 userCP.php

the permissions seem to be right. check /etc/groups to confirm andrew is a member of webGroup

Be aware that just editing /etc/group won't cause the change to be picked up in currently running login sessions. The andrew user will need to log out and log back in (or do newgrp webGroup) to get the new permissions.

Looks like Yast did it right:
video:x:33:andrew,emily
wheel:x:10:
www:x:8:
xok:x:41:
users:x:100:
webGroup:x:1000:andrew,wwwrun

I even tried restarting apache after I made the group change from Yast. Do you think I should try logging out?

This seems like a really weird problem.

you could rather just type "id" and it should show you your privileges.

id revealed I was not yet part of webGroup so I logged off and on. Problem fixed.