How to specify the file path for the private file system? Environment: Shared hosting, Apache.
Home directory: /home/someuser
Website at: /home/someuser/public_html/stuff
I've spent 2 days trying to get this to work, and realise that as soon as I'm answered it will be blindingly obvious, but I'm failing miserably right now.
I have created a directory in my public_html directory called private_files with a sub-directory called stuff. Both have access rights 755.
I have edited settings.php to include the line:
# $settings['file_private_path'] 
= '/home/someuser/public_html/private_files/stuff';

I have cleared all caches.
The file system configuration page shows:

Private file system path
Not set

What stunningly stupid mistake am I making? Why is what I'm doing wrong?
In order for this question to be marked as answered, @Clive pointed out here that the problem was the leading # character, which made the 1st line a comment, meaning that the file_private_path was never set.

The correct line should be

$settings['file_private_path'] = '/home/someuser/public_html/private_files/stuff';