Wait, what? App Engine doesn't work with latest version of WordPress?

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OC2PS

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Nov 30, 2013, 10:47:58 AM11/30/13
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Looks like App Engine has trouble with WordPress 3.7.1 http://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-running-local-wordpress-in-google-app-engine

This is terrible especially as WordPress have decided that they will start automatically updating WordPress without human intervention!

timh

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Nov 30, 2013, 6:58:41 PM11/30/13
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Except they can't automatically start upgrading wordpress on appengine.  
The only way to update code is via deploying a new version.

Chris Handy

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Dec 1, 2013, 1:19:40 PM12/1/13
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yes, I am also having issues.  Here is the error i get when i try to go to the homepage

Warning: chdir(): No such file or directory (errno 2) in /root/google_appengine/google/appengine/tools/devappserver2/php/setup.php on line 42

Warning: require(wordpress/wp-admin/wp-admin/install.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /root/google_appengine/google/appengine/tools/devappserver2/php/setup.php on line 103

Fatal error: require(): Failed opening required 'wordpress/wp-admin/wp-admin/install.php' (include_path='/root/wp:/root/google_appengine/php/sdk') in/root/google_appengine/google/appengine/tools/devappserver2/php/setup.php on line 103

Andrew Jessup

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Dec 2, 2013, 6:44:48 PM12/2/13
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Has anyone been able to reproduce this problem? A couple of folks on the team tried installing the latest WordPress using our tutorial and it seemed to work well.

If anyone can reproduce it, it would be great if they could file a bug - including the exact steps here - https://code.google.com/p/googleappengine/issues/list

OC2PS

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Dec 2, 2013, 9:06:02 PM12/2/13
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The problem is definitely more widespread than just me, as you can check at http://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-running-local-wordpress-in-google-app-engine

The steps to reproduce are: https://developers.google.com/appengine/articles/wordpress Did you follow these instructions strictly when you tried to reproduce? (I suspect it is entirely possible that this is a documentation bug, and since you are intimately familiar with GAE, thus you might have tried a different method which might have worked)...

Darien Caldwell

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Dec 3, 2013, 4:05:49 PM12/3/13
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On Saturday, November 30, 2013 7:47:58 AM UTC-8, OC2PS wrote:
Looks like App Engine has trouble with WordPress 3.7.1 http://wordpress.org/support/topic/trouble-running-local-wordpress-in-google-app-engine

This is terrible especially as WordPress have decided that they will start automatically updating WordPress without human intervention!
 
Just find the code doing the auto-update and delete/disable it. They really shouldn't be doing that, as systems can be delicate and altering versions without permission is a recipe for disaster. 

timh

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Dec 3, 2013, 6:30:43 PM12/3/13
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Think about it.  

Automatic updates of code (PHP) or otherwise are not possible on appengine.  Unless the PHP code is stored in the datastore/mysql which it isn't

The only possible path would be an automatic update on the dev environment (I don't believe that could happen either the the SDK server) unless you ran the wordpress under another server
and then deployed the code base to your appengine instance.

OC2PS

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Dec 6, 2013, 1:40:00 AM12/6/13
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On Wednesday, December 4, 2013 5:05:49 AM UTC+8, Darien Caldwell wrote:
altering versions without permission is a recipe for disaster. 
Notwithstanding, GAE should support 3.7.1 (i.e. latest stable version) as newer versions often include security patches and bug fixes...

timh

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Dec 6, 2013, 2:01:12 AM12/6/13
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I am not commenting on the appropriateness or other wise of specific versions etc...

Just that it is not possible for wordpress to be upgraded automatically as was suggested in the OP

T

OC2PS

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Dec 6, 2013, 2:08:58 AM12/6/13
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Vinny P

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Dec 6, 2013, 2:18:50 AM12/6/13
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Those links only apply for certain hosting environments. On App Engine and certain other PaaS, code cannot auto-update itself; there's a specific deployment process that has to be followed. Tim's posting was correct.


On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 1:01 AM, timh <zute...@gmail.com> wrote:
I am not commenting on the appropriateness or other wise of specific versions etc...
Just that it is not possible for wordpress to be upgraded automatically as was suggested in the OP



+1
 
 
-----------------
-Vinny P
Technology & Media Advisor
Chicago, IL

App Engine Code Samples: http://www.learntogoogleit.com
 

timh

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Dec 6, 2013, 2:21:01 AM12/6/13
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Yes, thats all fine, however it can't happen on appengine.

The OP sounded alarmist and I wanted to make sure people weren't running around worrying about auto updates and/or ignoring the fact that auto updates
can't happen and leave themselves unpatched.,

OC2PS

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Dec 6, 2013, 2:32:06 AM12/6/13
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Well, I AM the OP, and my concern is that GAE is not working with the latest version of WordPress, NOT that WordPress is auto-updating, so can we please get back to the point mentioned in the title of this thread?

Gary Mort

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Dec 6, 2013, 10:50:44 AM12/6/13
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On Friday, December 6, 2013 2:21:01 AM UTC-5, timh wrote:
Yes, thats all fine, however it can't happen on appengine.

You can configure your PHP App Engine instance to include files from GS.   So you can actually "upgrade" a PHP app deployed on app engine automatically.  I don't recommend using that option as I find one of the benefits of using App Engine is the enhanced security it allows by file updates to methods which are logged and trackable.

Mars Lan

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Dec 6, 2013, 6:22:18 PM12/6/13
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Thank you for bring this issue to our attention. The bug surfaces due to a change in WordPress 3.7 and affects only the development server. It should be fixed in the next release. Meanwhile, please manually change line 109 -110 of <google_appengine root>/google/appengine/tools/devappserver2/php/runtime.py from 

user_environ['REAL_SCRIPT_FILENAME'] = environ[ http_runtime_constants.SCRIPT_HEADER]

to

user_environ['REAL_SCRIPT_FILENAME'] = os.path.normpath( os.path.join(self.config.application_root, environ[http_runtime_constants.SCRIPT_HEADER]))

As this is a Python script, make sure the new statement is indented correctly.


On Saturday, November 30, 2013 7:47:58 AM UTC-8, OC2PS wrote:

Vance Hallman

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Dec 11, 2013, 11:59:40 PM12/11/13
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Lars and everyone else. Unless I am wrong this is the year 2013, almost 2014. I think Microsoft, IBM, most forms of Linux, and Ubuntu all have auto updates either as recommended or an option that is easily enabled. If you want this to become a consumer platform (why else would you be doing this?) you need to put a little faith in wordpress.org's PHP and javascript team.

Not withstanding your pending updates to make it 3.7.1 compatible here are a number of issues that you need to put on a roadmap for all of us to see. And you need to do it quick. Why? Wordpress is on a "less than quarterly" cycle for full blown major rev versions. 3.7 and 3,8 are HUGE steps in the right direction as they are now documenting and organizing all of their code along industry standard API releases.

Here's the list and I invite comments, ideas, suggestions:

1. FTP and .htaccess easy access by not only app engine admins, but wordpress logged in admins. 
2. You need to be updating your wordpress page with each minor rev. If Microsoft, Amazon and IBM can do it Google can too.
3. Rewrite your wordpress page as if you are a wordpress admin, NOT someone who is a PHP, Python and MySQL expert. Show screen shots, show examples, don't assum ANYTHING.
4. As a start for number 3 the instructions call out for installing various plugins at certain points. You only mention a few paragraphs later to NOT activate them until post deploy. I've been a wordpress afficiando since the early years of WP and I can tell you that 99% of all admins automatically activate wordpress plugins upon install. It's INSTINCT and if you want to change that behavior you need to tell them UPFRONT and in ALL CAPS.
5. You talk about Memcache Object Store and Batcache plugins but fail to mention that their need to be installed locally if you want to troubleshoot locally.
6. Where are the tools for telling us whether or not when we deploy wether or not those plugins are actually working when we activate them? I am 90% sure I installed mine correctly but my appspot site is dog slow with nothing installed but the 3 recommended plugins, which I have no idea if they are working.
7. Don't send us to StackOverFlow. Their are no easy ways to use stackoverflow for this type of use case. Not to mention I have 3 outstanding questions on SO that have lots of views and zero reply's.
8. Give us an easy to use graphic that shows where the 87 cents I spent today went so I know where to troubleshoot. I know no one is visting my blank blog. So what is causing all of THIS? https://cloud.google.com/console#/project/apps~fc1prod
9. I have read in numerous places that I should be able to see my Wordpress directory structure when I click on Google Cloud in the left hand panel and my bucket in the right hand panel. All I see is blank page.
10. I am still trying to wrap my arms around the purpose of Wordpress using Google App Engine. It takes many, many hours to get anything done. The entire configuration should be as fast if not faster than bitnami.org or S3. Those take a few minutes to spin up a complete WP site and enable the WP admins to get to work and start building sites.

Thoughts, ideas, comments?

Thanks,
        Van

Gopal Patel

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Dec 17, 2013, 11:22:10 PM12/17/13
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<bla bla bla>
I am waiting for the day when Wordpress do all the above in order for it to be compatible with Google App Engine, and not the other way around. Would you change the car or would you change the road ? ( you are absolutely free to choose either, but not both )
</bla bla bla>


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timh

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Dec 18, 2013, 2:09:15 AM12/18/13
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Half the things mentioned here as desirable would all of sudden make app engine instances as vulnerable as all the other word press instances out there.


 

OC2PS

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Dec 18, 2013, 3:24:07 AM12/18/13
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Definitely the road. Gotta make sure the road is smooth and allows all sorts of popular cars to run.

20% of the web runs on WordPress. GAE is still to reach that distinction.

alex

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Dec 30, 2013, 2:46:19 AM12/30/13
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Just to make it even :)


It's an old post though, so the numbers must be pretty higher now.


-- alex

Vivek Pundir

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Dec 30, 2013, 3:18:58 AM12/30/13
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Right, so:

WordPress used by 20% of top 10 million websites
http://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/content_management/all/

WordPress - 74 million sites just on WordPress.com
http://en.wordpress.com/stats/

GAE - Google seem very circumspect about releasing usage numbers http://googlecloudplatform.blogspot.sg/
Even if we were to say active users have triple since June 2012 http://gigaom.com/2012/06/28/google-app-engine-by-the-numbers/ GAE could at best claim fewer than a million sites.


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alex

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Dec 30, 2013, 5:48:29 AM12/30/13
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Just remember that Wordpress is a framework, while App Engine is a platform running a huge amount of things, not just web sites.

A car and a road have the other side of the coin, I guess. You can't go biking on a highway.

Lucas E Wall

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May 14, 2014, 8:43:28 AM5/14/14
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Hello Mars,

I am having the error mentioned above.

<b>Warning</b>:  require(C:\appengine-php-wp): failed to open stream: Permission denied in <b>C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\google_appengine\google\appengine\tools\devappserver2\php\setup.php</b> on line <b>102</b><br />

<b>Fatal error</b>:  require(): Failed opening required '\' (include_path='C:\appengine-php-wp;C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\google_appengine\php\sdk') in <b>C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\google_appengine\google\appengine\tools\devappserver2\php\setup.php</b> on line <b>102</b><br />

But I checked the line you mentioned on runtime.py and it is already up to date per your description.

I am running appengine 1.9.3, python 2.7 and wordpress 3.9.1. Since I started having the problem I have not updated the cloud version due to the fear that the problem propagates there. I am only having this problem in the development local instance.

I have tried other appengine versions, 1.9.0 and 1.9.4, without success. Beofre having wordpress version 3.9.1 I was running on 3.9 without a problem.

I am not sure where to look and how to troubleshoot at this point. This is delaying my complete migration to gcloud.

Please, help, any hints will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Lucas 

Mars Lan

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May 16, 2014, 3:15:52 PM5/16/14
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Could you share your app.yaml. It seems that it's trying to "require" a directory (C:\appengine-php-wp) rather than an actual php script.

Jeff Schnitzer

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May 17, 2014, 3:50:17 PM5/17/14
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On Dec 17, 2013 2:41 PM, "Vance Hallman" <ventu...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  [...] you need to put a little faith in wordpress.org's PHP and javascript team. [...]

I don't understand. Usually the punchline of a joke is at the end of a message, not in the middle.

Jeff

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