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The tmp folder of your webserver is REALLY temporaly, so, most of the time after some time (end of creation of all files), the folder is emptied...
Why not just chmod the folders? Or isn't your host allowing that? (If ya using Lycos or anything like that, give up and use decent host...
)
Edit: do you really mean the temporaly map? XOOPS uses (I think, not sure) the one that is set in php. Your host might wanne correct their settings if this is the case...