a dirty quick answer is to let apache as the owner of the shared folder, the scripts of NS just reset the group, never the owner
@davidep is concerned by the apache user restrictions, but in some case (for wedav by example) we cannot do it without this user.
Moreover the .htwritable is hard to use since you need to write it manually on the server and probably can be modified by a samba access...a gui will be welcome....but even with that you must know and understand which folders must have a write permission.
For what it concerns me (Mod Dav) I need a full write permission to the root folder of the Ibay, eventually I would love an option for that-> (*), else I need to set apache as the owner of the shared folder.
of course if an obvious other way exists, please shout