Internal server error

[Guest]

Trying til install newly downloaded serendipity I get the Internal Server Error.
I can see that others get the same error when trying to install this blog.
But I don't see any precise answers to the problem.
Is there anything to do, when using a hosted web? (Got no access to the httpd.conf or php.ini)

Kind regards Henning

(To americans: Try Kerry this time! .... sorry!)

[garvinhicking]

Do you get the error before any installation screen pops up, or after installation?

Try to edit the .htaccess file in your blog directory and remove entries like ErrorDocument or the php_value directives; and set the 'rewrite' directive frmo "apache errorhandling" to "none".

Regards,
Garvin.

[henning]

The internal server error came when trying to install the system. Just downloaded the 0.7, uploaded it and hit the folder with the browser.

I can see several htaccess-files in the folder. All ending with .tpl. Is it one of those I have to edit?

Kind regards
Henning

[garvinhicking]

In installation, try to choose "None" as RewriteMethod. There's a dropdown, which I think will be set to "Apache Errorhandling" for you. Then it should work!

If not, you are right, then you need to edit the htacces*.tpl files. But even better would be if you can edit the created '.htaccess' file after installation and remove the lines there.

Regards,
Garvin.

[Henning]

I don't even get to any drop-down possibilities as the Internal Server Error shows up at the initial screen.
Tried the simple solution to delete the htaccess.*.tpl files, but same result.
Do I have to edit anything before hitting index.php in the newly uploaded serendipity-folder?

Henning

[garvinhicking]

Ah, alright. Sorry, I misunderstood you.

Did you make sure that PHP scripts are executable on your server? Did you make sure that the serendipity folder is read+writable by the webserver user?

Which webserver/operating system does your system run on, and with which PHP version? I suppose it is a general problem with your server, because no htaccess files are yet interpreted before installation!

Regards,
Garvin.

[Henning]

Yes, the access rights seems to be ok.
Owner, group and all can read and run, owner can write.

From phpinfo:

PHP Version 4.2.2
Build system Linux rh72builder.arvin.dk 2.4.9-34 #1 Sat Jun 1 06:25:16 EDT 2002 i686 unknown
Build Date Aug 5 2002 18:09:15
Configure Command (note: tells you nothing about what extensions are currently installed) './configure' '--prefix=/usr' '--with-layout=GNU' '--with-pear=/usr/lib/php/PEAR' '--enable-pic' '--disable-rpath' '--libdir=/usr/lib/php4' '--datadir=/usr/share/php' '--with-config-file-path=/etc/php-standalone' '--enable-discard-path' '--enable-inline-optimization' '--enable-magic-quotes' '--enable-track-vars' '--enable-memory-limit' '--enable-bcmath' '--with-iconv' '--with-pcre-regex=/usr' '--enable-sigchild' '--disable-ftp' '--with-xml' '--with-expat-dir=/usr' '--enable-wddx' '--with-zlib' '--with-openssl' '--without-mysql' '--with-mm'
Server API CGI
Virtual Directory Support disabled
Configuration File (php.ini) Path /etc/php.ini
Debug Build no
Thread Safety disabled

[garvinhicking]

Hm, I don't really know what is causing trouble then. Do you have access to your PHP/Apache error-log? See where the Server Error comes from, that one will be logged. I suppose you're running PHP as a CGI script then; do other scripts work properly?

Regards,
Garvin

[Henning]

No, I asked the support about the error, and they said: "Check your scripts".
Really funny?
I think I will try again.
Thanks for helping

Henning

[Henning]

OK - my support says, that somthing in my htaccess-file possibly is wrong.
What can I do here? I have only a standard htaccess in the root.
Du you have a standard layout for a htaccess file, that doesn't produce errors?
Regards
Henning

[garvinhicking]

The funny thing is, that without successful installation, Serendipity does not provide a .htaccess file. There should not exist such a file anywhere; if it does, what does it contain?

Regards,
Garvin.

[Henning]

The htaccess in the document root says:

# -FrontPage-

IndexIgnore .htaccess */.??* *~ *# */HEADER* */README* */_vti*

<Limit GET POST>
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from all
</Limit>
<Limit PUT DELETE>
order deny,allow
deny from all
</Limit>

Since I'm no 'nerd' I'm not quite sure what it means.
There might be htaccess files in some of the standard Frontpage folders but since I do not use Frontpage I have not thought much about these folders ((_private, _vti_bin ...)

Is it ok?
I have tried to remove it, but the result was quite the same: 500.

[garvinhicking]

Hi Henning!

Hm, the .htaccess file could probably cause trouble, but since you deleted it and it still doesn't work, I'm out of options.

You need to bug your server administrators to tell you the exact message in the ErrorLog. Must be some setup error on the server...

Regards,
Garvin.

[Henning]

No way getting messages from the log.
The suppportman says: We NEVER hand out log messages of security reasons.
I guess my website now is "Bin Laden Secure" ???

I stop now for a while. But perhaps I could make at manual install later.
I have a 'linuxbox' under my desk with debian/Apache/MySql and the installation worked fine here. Perhaps I could export the mysql-strukture and copy the files and only have to edit a few conf-docs?
Will that work for me?

Henning

[garvinhicking]

Your support guys really suck. I am professionally involved in web hosting and NEVER have heard such a stupid response. It is your own logfile you want to look into. I suppose the error is all their fault because of a wrong CGI setup and they don't dare to admit that.

Installing on your own server should work without problems, but it will not work later on if you just import your config -- it's the PHP scripts that do not work on your server, so that wouldn't work afterwards...

Regards,
Garvin.