Info: Modification parse error

[snifftheglove]

SMF Version: SMF 1.1
I have been noticing that I was getting Modification parse error or packages and mods when trying to install, I have looked at multiple thread here at SMF and at TP but could not seem to find a reason with people saying change permissions to 0777 on files and directories plus lots of other suggestions which none worked, but I think I have found a solution.

My host has PHP4 and PHP5 installed, I can choose which one to use by using the AddType in a .htaccess file eg. AddType application/x-httpd-php5 .php   or AddType application/x-httpd-php4 .php

I was using PHP5 as a few of my homebrew routines use PHP5 commands.

So I tried to install SMF1.1.1 package (using php5) and I get Modification parse error, then straight away I change the AddType in the .htaccess file to point to php4 and then tried the SMF1.1.1 package again and it worked fine and installed correctly.

So there does seem to be a problem with using PHP4 and  PHP5.

I hope this helps some people.

[tarsia]

I would be very glad to install a mod where the parse error occurrs on PHP 5. But as my webspace is running on a shared-server i'm not allowed to change the PHP version from 5 to 4.

So I have a generell question: Who's job is it to fix this bug? Is it SMF, the mod or PHP? Or is where nothing we can do at the moment?

[bork]

I've been using SMF for over a year now on PHP5, not 5.

I have never managed to install any mod without getting modification parse error...which means no mods are possible on my forums. Even the official update packages don't work.

I have also tried every "solution" posted on these forums but nothing works.

It seems to be a bug ignored by the SMF developers.

[J. Williams]

This is not a bug, its just an error with the package.

Check your CHMOD permissions are set correctly.

[bork]

Nothing to do with it - even CHMODing the entire SMF install to 777 doesn't work.

[tarsia]

This is not a bug, its just an error with the package.

Check your CHMOD permissions are set correctly.

Read the first post of this topic! The error depends on the PHP-Version SMF is running on and not on any permissions or something like that. I can confirm this, because  I tried all hints I found about the parse modification error in this forum, already.

In my point of view it's a ToDo for the mod-Developer or for the SMF-Developer-Team.

[J. Williams]

This is not a bug, its just an error with the package.

Check your CHMOD permissions are set correctly.

Read the first post of this topic! The error depends on the PHP-Version SMF is running on and not on any permissions or something like that. I can confirm this, because  I tried all hints I found about the parse modification error in this forum, already.

In my point of view it's a ToDo for the mod-Developer or for the SMF-Developer-Team.

You'll have to wait for an developer to confirm the issue.

[s9jeremiah]

There are a bunch of these popping up on the forum so it seems like it is not an isolated incident.

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?action=search2;search=Modification+parse+error

[bork]

It's not an isolated incident and it doesn't only affect php5 - i get it using php4.

I've asked for support on this issue for months and months and there's never any official response, or even a recognition that the problem exists. I've now given up.

I wouldn't hold your breath with regards to this ever being fixed.

It's a shame, because it was was one of the main reasons I converted my forums from phpBB to SMF. It didn't work when I converted but I assumed this was just because I was running RC versions.

[J. Williams]

You have tried it on another host and also checked your host supports the file types SMF uses?

[bork]

Which file types?

I'm not going to move forums with nearly 100k posts to another host just in case it might work.

Surely SMF should specify which server facilities are necessary to stop this problem occurring rather than just ignoring it?

[J. Williams]

In one topic, these were the recommendations:

• Disable safe mode
  
• Ask them to load the archive file types with PHP
  

[bork]

Ok - safe mode is off.

I'm not sure how to achieve the 2nd, but will look into it as I currently use gzip. Thing is though, I've even tried manually unzipping the archives, uploading them to the packages/temp folder, chmodding the files and then re-running the package install but this also doesn't work, so I'm not sure that it's the archives that are causing the problem.

[bork]

Also, to add to the problem:

Sometimes the mod appears to install correctly but it doesn't actually install. This happens with the official patches for instance. The are in the installed list but they have not actually taken effect.

[s9jeremiah]

You have tried it on another host and also checked your host supports the file types SMF uses?

It was actually working on this server until about rc1.  From then on it has been doing this with the xml files in mod packages.

[J. Williams]

If I remember, RC1 had a package manager bug so this could be the consequence of it.

[bork]

Also happens with RC2 & 3

[J. Williams]

You could try testing it out on another host by uploading the database backup with BigDump if its quite large.

[s9jeremiah]

You could try testing it out on another host by uploading the database backup with BigDump if its quite large.

do you or anyone else have a copy of bigdump?  The site seems to be down

[J. Williams]

BigDump is available here in an archive:
Link