| /var/etc.../domain.com/httpdocs/test/test.pl
test.pl is chmod 755, chown popuser, chgrp popuser, the directory /test/ is chmod 755

What about the directories further up in the tree, i.e. httpdocs, domain.com, etc.;  are they at least 'x' ("executable", i.e. traversable) for the popuser?