Cannot Install! Uploaded files Three times!

[swalker1974]

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, But I've tried to install this three times and after uploading the files and setting the permissions on the folders - I go to http://multimedia-creations.com/index.php and get: Internal Server Error. I uploaded the files in my root folder (index_html) cause the blog is going to be on my home page. It created the .htaccess file upon file upload, but didn't create the serendipity_config_local.inc.php

I'm using Cpanel X My PHP configuration is PHP 5. Below is the foll0wing information regarding my php admin

Server: Localhost via UNIX socket
Server version: 5.0.92-community
Protocol version: 10
User: creation@localhost
MySQL charset: UTF-8 Unicode (utf8)

Web server

cpsrvd 11.28.87
MySQL client version: 4.1.22
PHP extension: mysql

phpMyAdmin

Version information: 3.3.9.2

I've installed Serendipity before on godaddy servers. Not sure why I'm running into this issue, but I need this installed ASAP!

Any help would be appreciated!


I'm now going to try to install / upload in a different directory "/blog/" and see if that works...


~Shannon

[Timbalu]

Hi

To say before: I am not familiar with Cpanel.
Is erverything else working, PhpMyAdmin and phpinfo file?
It might be the MySQL client version: 4.1.22. This should be something 5x to run properly.
What do PhpMyAdmin and phpinfo say about MySQL client and server version?
Did you try to install a s9y.org release file (1.5.5) or some godaddy variation?

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

When you get an internal server error, you should try to inspect the Apache Errorlog, this should give a clue about what the Internal Server error is exactly. Most probably it's a file/dir write/read permissioni ssue, or probably a PHP session (permission) issue.

Regards,
Garvin

[swalker1974]

Okay... Since I couldn't get Serendipity to install, I decided to remove everything and re-upload my core site files and now my rss feed doesn't work

http://multimedia-creations.com/

So it looks like I must have done something to cause the internal server error. I've checked the CHMOD folder permissions and that hasn't helped any. However, I recall when I tried installing WordPress awhile back ago that when creating a database on my server for that blog, the database starts with my domain username, the "_databasename" When installing WordPress, my databasename was _blog and I had a folder in my public_html called blog. The installation worked, but I didn't like WordPress's functionality, among other things.

I thinks that's why I had the internal server error when I tried installing Serendipity in my root folder with the databasename "_blog" I forgot that Apache databases are setup that the database name is associated with a folder name... So, I'm not sure what to name a new database to have it install in my public_html root folder - unless I name it "_public_html"? Though I'll probably just install Serendipity in a subfolder "blog/" and give my database the same name, then I can just ad a re-direct script to point to the blog folder since my home page will be the blog - I think the databasename was the issue I had in the first place

I've installed this open source blog on godaddy server's with no issue. I guess I am a bit of a novice when it comes to understanding how my own servers works - I guess that's what happens when your staring at your computer for 18 hours straight!

Now I'm corresponding with i-NetSolutions tech support to hopefully get the internal server error on my rss feeds working again, then I can give Serendipity another go!

~Shannon

[Timbalu]

I forgot that Apache databases are setup that the database name is associated with a folder name

I never experienced this here before, IMHO this is not the default behaviour normally, maybe its a speciality of your server or your hoster?

Godaddy Serendipity versions are kind of special. There is no support here for these versions, since we don't know about their changes.

As far as I remember from this morning your internal server error was a 404. Did you really check the mysql?

[swalker1974]

Well, I've tried installing serendipity again, this time in a different folder in my directory "_blog" with no avail. I've set the permissions on all the folders and I am at a loss. iNetSolutions couldn't help me as far as getting this to work so I am asking for help. I'm currently logged into my PHP Admin. Is there anything I can do here to get the installation going?

URL - http://multimedia-creations.com/blog/index.php

I've installed this on two separate domains on godaddy's servers with no problems whatsoever, I don't know why I'm having this issue with iNetSolution's servers

Attached is a screenshot of my php configuration

I'm not sure what else to do. I want to use this program cause I have master re-skinning the template to match my design. And I need to get this up and running so I can find a job closer to home - Can't afford driving 50 miles one way to work anymore

~Shannon

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

You should send their support a mail like this:

I'm trying to install a PHP application, but I am not able to access the application. I only get a "Internal Server Error". Can you please tell me how I can get more specific information about the possible error, i.e. where I can find the Apache Error Log, and the CGI/PHP error log?

Regards,
Garvin

(I'm on vacation starting tomorrow, so I sadly will not be able to follow up on this thread until next week)

[swalker1974]

Here is the response I have received from i-NetSolutions regarding the Serendipity install and this warning message That displays before my feeds:

http://multimedia-creations.com/

rss warning: Warning: fopen() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/creation/public_html/simplepie/simplepie.inc on line 2416

This is the response from i-NetSolutions:

Those refer to permissions settings for the /blog directory so you'll need to troubleshoot for the correct permissions if you believe that is causing the installation to fail. Your script should provide you with sufficient information for file settings and if not that's where the fun begins. Someone on the developer's site may (probably) experienced the same problems you're facing so do a search on their foums to see if that narrows things or you.

The fopen issue could also be a problem with the script. We do not allow fopen so the script should be adjusted, rewritten so that it is more secure and doesn't require such potential security risks.

Although this security hole may have been patched you may be interested in this article:
http://secunia.com/advisories/29398

And these recent discussions at: http://blog.s9y.org/

I would be very careful using this script. Surely you can find something more secure. In any event, any serverside adjustments (i.e., allowing fopen) cannot be made to accommodate this script so hopefully the installation can be made with the server's current configuration.

Staff, i-NetSolutions
Internet Solutions, LLC

*Update Email from i-NetSolutions:

Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time to help troubleshoot permissions settings as you experience them but we have corrected the permissions settings of the /blog directory (changed from 0777 to 0755). 0777 is definitely not going to work on our servers and hopefully there's a readme file with this script that helps with install errors or you're reading the forums to learn how other users dealt with installation.

Try visiting http://multimedia-creations.com/blog/se ... _admin.php (I did, still get internal server error)

You had multiple tickets for the same issue and they have been combined. Since this issue is directly related to an external script we will now close this ticket as the problems you've experienced so far are all related to permissions settings which you'll just need to check as you add/change files.

Also, you may want to use the backup feature in cpanel prior to making major changes so you'll have a good working point to return to if you need to undo changes without destroying or restoring your entire file structure.



Any thoughts?


~Shannon

[Timbalu]

rss warning: Warning: fopen() has been disabled for security reasons in /home/creation/public_html/simplepie/simplepie.inc on line 2416

This isn't a serendipity file error. It means (ripped text):
We have disabled the allow_url_fopen PHP config variable in php.ini. The effect of this is that files residing on foreign webservers cannot be opened as if they are files residing on our webserver.

An example of this is the fopen command. The fopen command opens a file so it can be read from or written to. Normally you would call it like this:

fopen("fun.txt", "r");

That would open fun.txt on our server. However, prior to disabling allow_url_fopen, it could also be called like this:

fopen("http://www.foreignwebsite.com/maliciouscode.txt", "r");

Disabling this makes us more secure as malicious code residing on foreign webservers can't be inserted into an insecure PHP document on our server.

Instead of fopen() you could try with file_get_contents(), see
http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.fopen.php#95751
or shut up the warning itself by adding '@' to 'fopen()' like '@fopen()'.

The "problem" with your ~database names you could try to solve creating a new Database with your (preferered) hosters tool, keep the name in mind and then install serendipity into http://yourdomain/blog. Do you already have a database set up? Take it.
Do you really need a seperate database for serendipity? Serendipty database table names are quite unique, since starting like serendipity_xxx. If you don't need a seperate db, just choose the premier db by serendipitys installation progress. Btw, there is no need to have the same name for your database and blog folder.
If /blog/ and all descending files and folders are set to 755, there should not be any further permission error. You have to read some documentary or forum threads how to run serendipity embedded in your core site files.

good luck

[garvinhicking]

Hi!

The simplepie error relates to a non-serendipity script, possibly WordPress from the install before.

When you still get the error, please tell them your URL and so they can see the error message and hopefully be able to fix that.

Their reference to the serendipity vulnerability is 3 years old so this is not a good effort to help you troubleshoot things. Also you might want to tell them that the serendipity security track record is great, we fixed every of the < 8 security vulnerabilities in the past 10 (!) years within one day. WordPress and other blog systems have a far worse track record...

Regards,
Garvin

[swalker1974]

After the trouble I had installing Serendipity on my database/server, I decided to install WordPress again instead. The cpanel has this software called Fantastico that lets me install with minimal setup. I have the blog working and I changed the theme to match my site. However, I'm still having the same issue as when I installed WordPress before - That's why I wanted to go with Serendipity. I'm unable to add images to my posts - Well, I actually got the media gallery images to post. But I can't simply ad an image tag (with or with out a url link) in my html editor - It just craps out and goes back to my posts list in the admin when I click post/save. iNet-Solutions simply told me they can't allow any server permission changes and that I need to learn / write a script that will allow it - some typ of .php inc or something similar. They don't offer programming / scripting support.

But I do have my blog home page up and an image in my post. Just when you either click on the image or the "continue reading" button it goes to the same place - the expanded post with comment form Oh well. You can check out my site here: http://multimedia-creations.com

~Shannon

[Timbalu]

Sorry, we do not support Wordpress!
http://de.php.net/manual/en/function.chmod.php