CSC-SY

uploading files will be something like this

$upload_path = uploads; 
if (isset($HTTP_POST_FILES[bulk-file][tmp_name]))
{   
    $file_path = $HTTP_POST_FILES[file][tmp_name];
    
    if (file_exists($file_path))
    {
        $file_name=basename($file_path);
        $upload_path = $upload_path . $file_name;
        move_uploaded_file($file_path, $upload_path))

    }
}

for making directories use mkdir command
BTW :(for admin) is there any changes in the site that limits the number of characters in the comments, cause it's giving an error (blank page) if the comments size exceeds a value

sorry I didn't notice before u mentioned safe mode
I think you have to use the .htaccess files to force your php scripts to run in "CGI Mode" because CGI doesn't have safe mode restrictions
you need to bypass safe mode restrictions because when safe mode is on the scripts which has a nonauthorized UID will not be allowed to run,
so create a directory in which you'll place your php scripts that you want to have run in CGI mode. then create a .htaccess file in that directory with the following contents:

        Action php-script /interpreters/php-script 
        AddHandler php-script .php AddHandler php-script .php3

now any php scripts you place in that directory will be executed by cgi-mode php.
OR nother solution
you can write your scripts in CGI. This is allowed because CGI scripts are executed in a much safer context than php.

using the FTP functions will not solve the problem