Thread:Project:Forum/"The upload directory (public) is not writable by the webserver."

I take it all back: SELinux was blocking uploads and it wasn't reporting the problem... (Mea culpa: blinded by infuriation and frustration, this should've been posted over at Support Desk. If someone can shift the discussion there, I'd be much obliged.)
 * Fedora 14 (x86)
 * MediaWiki 1.15.4
 * PHP 5.3.5
 * MySQL 5.1.55
 * Stock configuration

OK... I've done this a million ways, and I keep getting this damned "The upload directory (public) is not writable by the webserver" error. Apache is running fine. PHP is running fine. MySQL is running fine. MediaWiki does work, but uploads don't.

Or should that be "won't"? Whatever.... The following "usual suspects" have been ruled out:
 * chmod -R 755 …/images makes no difference
 * chmod -R 777 …/images makes no difference
 * chown apache:apache …/images makes no difference
 * /etc/php.ini has file_uploads = On
 * /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf is as it should be (DocumentRoot set to /var/www/html)
 * Aliases in /etc/httpd/conf.d/mediawiki.conf</tt> is as it should be (Alias /mediawiki</tt> set to /var/www/mediawiki</tt>)
 * Adding "error_reporting( E_ALL ); ini_set( 'display_errors', 1 );</tt>" to LocalSettings.php</tt> revealed nothing (except for a deprecation error involving Extension:Calendar (Cdamian))
 * And even though "uploading" by maintenance/importImages.php</tt> works, it is not an acceptable substitute.

After figuring all that out, I cleared out everything and did a fresh installation - I even followed the installation manual to the letter. The only — repeat: only — change to LocalSettings.php</tt> was to set $wgEnableUploads</tt> to true</tt>. No extensions, no add-ons, no plug-ins, no require_once</tt>, no nothing, and no dice: the upload directory (public) is still not writable by the webserver.

So... what the hell is going on here? "The upload directory (public) is not writable by the webserver" is complete, total, and utter mother-@#$%ing bull*&^~ (let alone uninformative and borderline grammatical). A heavily-customized installation has this problem, and so does a brand-spanking new installation. What am I overlooking? What haven't I considered? And why, oh, why can't MediaWiki Just @#$%ing Work?!

Thanks for the help (or, at least, the opportunity to vent... >_< )