##To see the permissions of a folder, you need to use the "-d" option to 'ls' as well as the "-l" option
ls -ld ~/Sites
# drwxr-x---   14 cczona  staff  476B Jan 19 10:48 /Users/cczona/Sites/

##Apache runs as user/group 'www', so typically it needs 'Other' read and execute permissions
chmod o+rx ~/Sites
# drwxr-xr-x   14 cczona  staff  476B Jan 19 10:48 /Users/cczona/Sites/

If you want someone to have access to a file in a particular folder, that user must have "search" permission (the "x") on all of the folders along the path from the top of the drive down to the folder where the file is. And then the file itself must have "read" permission for that user. And if you want someone to be able to see what files are in a particular folder, that folder must have "read" permission for that user.

Note that to see the permissions of a folder, you need to use the "-d" option to 'ls' as well as the "-l" option. For example:
<code>ls -ld myFolder</code>

http://forums.macosxhints.com/showthread.php?t=40648

When Apache under OS X throws 'Forbidden' errors on files under the ~/Sites path, and the error log report 'Permission denied: access to /somefile/blah failed because search permissions are missing on a component of the path', check a missing Other Execute permission along the entire path.

"If you want someone to have access to a file in a particular folder, that user must have "search" permission (the "x") on all of the folders along the path from the top of the drive down to the folder where the file is. And then the file itself must have "read" permission for that user. And if you want someone to be able to see what files are in a particular folder, that folder must have "read" permission for that user."

Apache 'Forbidden' error on Mac ~/Sites files

mac, osx, apache

Bash