PHP Directory Not Set for subdomain install of Joomla! 1.6 (beta 11)

[Christopher Reimer]

Greetings,

I had installed Joomla! 1.6 (beta 11) on a local server without problems. I then installed that on a subdomain at my web hosting provider for testing. When I tried to install a module that I wrote, the XML file couldn't be found. I checked the warnings. At first, the tmp directory wasn't writeable. Changed that. Then the next warning was that the PHP directory wasn't writeable and the php.ini needed to be changed. A Google search didn't turn up anything meaningful.

Then I checked the global configuration screen and noticed the Directory Permissions link (nice feature!), clicked on it, and discovered that all the directories except tmp (which I just changed) were unwritable. Changed the permissions to writeable. Still having the same problem with XML file not being found.

With my particular web hosting provider, I need unzip the 1.6 files from the command line into a local directory before uploading by FTP from my MacBook. The only permission issues I ever had with 1.5 was the cache and tmp directories not being writeable.

Is this an issue with the installation or do I need to contact my web hosting provider to change the php.ini for the subdomain?

Thank you,

Chris Reimer

[Christopher Reimer]

When I looked into the /tmp directory, I find the zip file there with all the files as expected. When I look into the unzipped temp directory, I find only the folders from the zip and all the files are missing. This seems to indicate a problem with 1.6 instead of the server. This zip file works fine on 1.5 (remote) and 1.6 (locally).

Maybe the 1.6 installation is foobar? It wouldn't install with the ftp layer turned on, reporting an error with XML file.

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[Christopher Reimer]

Updated to 1.6 Beta 12 without problems. All the directories were unwritable by default. Fixed that. PHP directory also not writable but not able to fix that. Uploaded a module file and got error message that XML file can't be found. Checked the /tmp directory to find zip archive with all files and a temp directory with only the directories from the zip file.

Going back to my earlier question: a bug with 1.6 or the server?

[Ian MacLennan]

Does it happen with all modules or one particular module?

Ian

[Christopher Reimer]

All my modules for sure. Does the same thing or hangs for the Kunena Forum component that's 1.6 ready. When checking the tmp directory via FTP, I find the zip file and a temp directory with only empty directories from the zip file. 

Again, this is the remote "real world" server. The local server works fine.

[JM Simonet]

>Updated to 1.6 Beta 12 without problems. All the directories were
>unwritable by default.

What are the settings you got when installing? 755 is the normal
settivg for folders.

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[Christopher Reimer]

The folders were 755 when I uploaded the 1.6 files. I had to changed to them 757 to make them writeable. With the 1.5 files, only the cache and temp folders were made 757.

[Christopher Reimer]

I made another effort to reinstall Joomla! 1.6 (beta 12). The directory permissions on the unzipped installation files on my MacBook look fine (i.e., 755). I ran the following commands on Macbook (my web host provider doesn't have shell support):

find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

find . -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

Using the Transmit FTP client, I deleted the files from the server, uploaded the files and went through the installer. All the directories were set to 755. Looking at Administration -> System Info -> Directory Permissions, all the directories are listed as unwritable.

Under Administration -> System Info -> PHP Settings, the Open Basedir is "none".

Under Administration -> System Info -> PHP Info, the upload_tmp_dir is "no value".

Is this a problem with 1.6, my web hosting provider or both?

[Russell Winter]

Well, the fact that even with 1.5 you had to modify permissions to achieve writable status, tends to suggest your host is not well configured (may running PHP as an Apache module, or CGI without phpsuexec) but from what I understand of 1.6, this should not effect 1.6 any more adversely than it did 1.5

Having said that, if your host has their server configured poorly for PHP, then there is a good chance that PHP is also poorly configured, producing the issues you are seeing, especially considering the few settings you have shared.

Regards,

Russ Winter

[Christopher Reimer]

I had hosted my Joomla! 1.5 websites on two different web hosting providers that both required changing cache/tmp to 757 to save files to those locations. Joomla! 1.6 seems to be more anal retentive about it. :)

I opened a support ticket with my current web hosting provider (DirectNIC). I should get a response soon.

[Christopher Reimer]

I got a response from DirectNic that I needed to set a tmp directory in the root of my web directory, which I and that didn't change anything. :/

Since they use Parallels H-Sphere for web hosting, I gave them the link to the knowledge base: http://kb.parallels.com/208

Maybe they will take a hint and configure my web server properly. Assuming that there isn't some weird bug in 1.6 since 1.5 doesn't care about the upload_tmp_dir value.

[Matt Thomas]

Hi Christopher,

My guess is that this may be a server issue as I have 1.6 installed on a sub-domain on a Rochen server and the directory permissions seem fine. I'll see if I can install the latest from SVN and see how it looks.

Best,

Matt Thomas
betweenbrain | Construct Template Framework | Sub-Templates Explained

[Christopher Reimer]

I'm currently trading emails back and forth with tech support to convince them that the problem is on *their* end instead of my end. I think they're confusing the PHP tmp directory with the Joomla! 1.5 tmp directory. Oy!

[Matt Thomas]

Try dealing with 1&1 some time. Yikes! 

(I feel your pain)

Best,

Matt Thomas
betweenbrain | Construct Template Framework | Sub-Templates Explained

[Christopher Reimer]

Okay, I think I got my point across that they need to change the upload_tmp_dir in either php.ini (system wide) or vhost.conf (per virtual domain). I'll find out tomorrow on what they plan to do about this.

Does anyone know why 1.6 need to have the upload_tmp_dir variable set?

[Christopher Reimer]

A programer and server administrator at DirectNIC are working on a solution to have the upload_tmp_dir set in their configuration file. No time estimates on when that will be done.

Still didn't get an answer to why 1.6 requires to have this variable set. If 1.5 doesn't care, why now?

[Ian MacLennan]

I can't think off hand of anything that is changed in that regard.

Ian