Package Install help, where to find the local path?

[ToxXxic]

I need help on manually installing packages.

Can anyone tell me where I can find the local path to SMF?
I've got the same problem as classnova:

it just appears to refresh the page

When I click "[ Apply Mod ]" I get a screen asking me to enter:

Code Select Expand

FTP Server: <link to the server> Port: <in almost every case this needs to be 21>
Username: <my ftp username>
Password: <my ftp password>
Local path to SMF: <local path>

I knew about everything except the local path to SMF, so where can I find it in the most cases?

[greyknight17]

Where are you SMF files located now? Usually it's something like /public_html/smf/ (assuming you installed it in a folder called smf in the root public_html folder).

To install mods manually, use the SMF Package Parser and it will display the directions on what files to edit.

[ToxXxic]

Where are you SMF files located now? Usually it's something like /public_html/smf/ (assuming you installed it in a folder called smf in the root public_html folder).

To install mods manually, use the SMF Package Parser and it will display the directions on what files to edit.

I'm trying to install a package for 8 hours already but I just can not connect to my FTP server...

[greyknight17]

Login to your webhost using FTP. Tell us the path you go into to access the SMF directory (where you installed it originally).

[ToxXxic]

Login to your webhost using FTP. Tell us the path you go into to access the SMF directory (where you installed it originally).

I can only see a "/".

[greyknight17]

So you login to FTP and start uploading your SMF files there? You sure you don't go into a folder or two first like /www, /public_html, /htdocs, etc.?

[ToxXxic]

So you login to FTP and start uploading your SMF files there? You sure you don't go into a folder or two first like /www, /public_html, /htdocs, etc.?

When I login, I can already see the SMF directions like "Packages" or "Sources".

[greyknight17]

If you want, you can give me temp admin access to your forum and FTP (change the password). Send it to me via PM.

[ToxXxic]

If you want, you can give me temp admin access to your forum and FTP (change the password). Send it to me via PM.

Check your PM .

[Sarge]

Hello, is everything resolved?

You can use fix_ownership.php. It tries to detect the correct path to reset file and directory permissions; this way, PHP can write to SMF files and the FTP info screen shouldn't appear.

[ToxXxic]

Hello, is everything resolved?

You can use fix_ownership.php. It tries to detect the correct path to reset file and directory permissions; this way, PHP can write to SMF files and the FTP info screen shouldn't appear.

Nope, my problem still hasn't been fixed yet.
But, I'll try what you said.

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc173/psycho0bulldozer/azzffds.png

[ToxXxic]

I've asked my friend, the owner of the server.
And even he can not fix the problem .

[Sarge]

Did you try fix_ownership.php? What path did it report?

[McGhee]

I am having the exact same problem, don't know what my local path is because all I see is a / and I am therefore unable to install any mods or change my files to writable in admin.

I downloaded that fix.ownership.php file and put it into the main directory but now what? This is driving me nuts and I have been having this problem for a long time now.

[Sarge]

McGhee, fix_ownership.php tries to find the full path automatically. Open it in your browser and give it the FTP info, if asked.

Also, check out your phpinfo.php (What is a phpinfo() file?) The absolute (full) path for your site, starting from the root directory of the server, is listed as DOCUMENT_ROOT in the Apache Environment section, or as _SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] in PHP Variables.

The absolute path of your phpinfo.php (wherever you uploaded it) is listed as SCRIPT_FILENAME or _SERVER["SCRIPT_FILENAME"].

[McGhee]

McGhee, fix_ownership.php tries to find the full path automatically. Open it in your browser and give it the FTP info, if asked.

Also, check out your phpinfo.php (What is a phpinfo() file?) The absolute (full) path for your site, starting from the root directory of the server, is listed as DOCUMENT_ROOT in the Apache Environment section, or as _SERVER["DOCUMENT_ROOT"] in PHP Variables.

The absolute path of your phpinfo.php (wherever you uploaded it) is listed as SCRIPT_FILENAME or _SERVER["SCRIPT_FILENAME"].

This is all way over my head. I opened the fix_ownership.php file from my hard drive in a browser but got nowhere with that. I created the phpinfo.php file and placed it in the server but how do I call it with my internet browser from the server? How do you open it in a browser? I see no way of doing that.

All I would like to do here is be able to make my files writable when I click on the button to do that in the admin panel. And what I don't get is if I am trying to make my files writable why is it telling me I have to go make my files writable in FTP in order to make my files writable? It is like I am going on circles!

[Sarge]

Sorry for not being clear. You need to upload fix_ownership.php to the forum directory on the server, where SSI.php and Settings.php are. Then you start your browser and point it to your forum URL, but with fix_ownership.php at the end instead of index.php.

For example, if your forum URL is http://www.mysite.com/forum/index.php, the URL of fix_ownership.php (assuming you uploaded it to the forum directory) would be http://www.mysite.com/forum/fix_ownership.php

Same thing with the phpinfo.php file.

Now, about making files writable using FTP:
On most servers, files are accessed based on account permissions. Every user on a server has an account, and there are some services and programs (like MySQL, PHP etc.) that may use separate accounts as well.

All SMF files with the extension .php are normally run by PHP, which in turn runs (when installed as an Apache module) under Apache, so PHP runs under the same account as Apache. Often, this account is named www-data, nobody, 99 or has some other name. This account is different from the one you use (which is normally the same account you use for FTP), and often the file permissions (read: what the account is allowed to do with files) are different as well. For example, PHP might be able to read and also write to a file, but your FTP account can only read it, and vice-versa.

On servers where PHP is configured as a CGI instead of as an Apache module, PHP runs under the user account instead, so it should have the same access as your FTP account. This doesn't appear to be your case here.

SMF and some other scripts, including fix_ownership.php, attempt to use PHP to read and modify files whenever possible; if that fails for some reason -- usually because the required permissions are not present -- they ask you for the FTP account info, so that PHP can read and write to files using the FTP account instead. In order for PHP to use FTP, the FTP extension for PHP needs to be installed; it should normally be already installed by the server administrator, but it's a good idea to check -- the page of phpinfo.php should tell you that, as well as other PHP configuration information, which is the reason why sometimes we ask for the URL of phpinfo.php.

[Kat-2]

Sorry for not being clear. You need to upload fix_ownership.php to the forum directory on the server, where SSI.php and Settings.php are. Then you start your browser and point it to your forum URL, but with fix_ownership.php at the end instead of index.php.

For example, if your forum URL is http://www.mysite.com/forum/index.php, the URL of fix_ownership.php (assuming you uploaded it to the forum directory) would be http://www.mysite.com/forum/fix_ownership.php

Same thing with the phpinfo.php file.

Now, about making files writable using FTP:
On most servers, files are accessed based on account permissions. Every user on a server has an account, and there are some services and programs (like MySQL, PHP etc.) that may use separate accounts as well.

All SMF files with the extension .php are normally run by PHP, which in turn runs (when installed as an Apache module) under Apache, so PHP runs under the same account as Apache. Often, this account is named www-data, nobody, 99 or has some other name. This account is different from the one you use (which is normally the same account you use for FTP), and often the file permissions (read: what the account is allowed to do with files) are different as well. For example, PHP might be able to read and also write to a file, but your FTP account can only read it, and vice-versa.

On servers where PHP is configured as a CGI instead of as an Apache module, PHP runs under the user account instead, so it should have the same access as your FTP account. This doesn't appear to be your case here.

SMF and some other scripts, including fix_ownership.php, attempt to use PHP to read and modify files whenever possible; if that fails for some reason -- usually because the required permissions are not present -- they ask you for the FTP account info, so that PHP can read and write to files using the FTP account instead. In order for PHP to use FTP, the FTP extension for PHP needs to be installed; it should normally be already installed by the server administrator, but it's a good idea to check -- the page of phpinfo.php should tell you that, as well as other PHP configuration information, which is the reason why sometimes we ask for the URL of phpinfo.php.

She has the correct path. I am hosting her forum. It is not a path problem.

But the mod definitely does not want to install.


ETA: If it were a path problem, she would not be able to install any other packages..and she can.

[Sarge]

She has the correct path. I am hosting her forum. It is not a path problem.

But the mod definitely does not want to install.


ETA: If it were a path problem, she would not be able to install any other packages..and she can.

Since you're hosting her forum, see if you can (recursively) chown her forum directory and its contents to her account (I assume this is not a phpSuExec / suPHP / PHP as CGI config?)

@McGhee: after Kat-2 has done the above, do the following:
1) Use your FTP program (with your own account) to create a directory named temp inside the Packages directory and to chmod both to 777.
2) Install the No Temp Directory Removal mod.
3) Go to SMF Admin > Packages > Options tab and select "All files are writable". If you are asked for the FTP details, enter them.
4) Hopefully step 3) will not give you any errors and you can try installing the mod.

If the mod is Package Manager still refuses to install the mod and it is a .tar.gz file, repackage it as a .zip archive.

By the way, have you updated SMF to 1.1.5?

And please... please: in the future, start a new topic for each issue or question you have, or list them all in one topic -- either of these will make support faster, less confusing and more effective. Also, please do not "hijack" other people's topics -- doing so might shift support attention away from the original poster's issue(s). However, by all means add a link to a similar topic in your own topics for reference.