Strange occurrence while using the package manager [Installation problem/issue]

[Jack_40k]

Hey guys,

I'm having exactly the same problem described in these threads:

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=383098.msg2641135#msg2641135
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=389036.msg2688328#msg2688328

Basically I can upload and "install" packages successfully, but the package manager doesn't actually seem to install them at all.

I wanted to firstly say that I can't change the permissions of files/folder THROUGH SMF (Package Manager > File Permissions).. Only through my FTP Client (SmartFTP).

Secondly, and this is the *strange* part, when after I added a temp folder inside packges folder and 'installed' my mods - I found that the files/folders that were MEANT to be copied/installed appeared IN THAT TEMP FOLDER!

It appears as if the temp folder has sucked my installation into its temp vortex! (i.e. It didn't help at all but instead was a problem..?).

I find all this very strange.. I just want to install mods! Help!

[gbsothere]

Jack, this may not apply to you, but it's worth checking.   Log into your control panel and take a look at your file manager.  In the User and Group columns check to see if you see your user name/group name or if you see something else (an example would be "apache").  If you don't see your own user name, then you don't actually own the files.  When you don't have ownership, chmodding may appear to work, but doesn't, actually.  If you don't have ownership and don't know how to "chown", ask your server to do this for you, to restore ownership to you.  (That's a good time to also ask them if 755 for directories and 644 for files is their recommended permissions setting.)

Then try your package manager again. 

[Jack_40k]

Sorry but what do you mean log into my control panel? Do you mean CPanel? If so I don't have this on my server..
Actually I'm running the server on a virtual machine, my dad built the fedora 7 machine and maintains it.. It will only be virtual until I upload it and go live, but I'm not overwriting my current forum until everything is installed and ready to go.

So yeah I'll ask him if I have ownership of the files (I think I do..) and will confirm in this post later.

Cheers.

EDIT: Just added the "owner" column to my FTP client and see that some files/folders belong to "48" and some belong to "501"... This is probably the source of the problem?

[Jack_40k]

OK so basically here's what's happening..

- If I don't have a 'temp' folder (with 777 permissions) in my package directory and try to install a mod, I get this error: "An Error Has Occured! You cannot download or install new packages because the Packages directory or one of the files in it are not writable!"

- When I add this directory to the folder (with 777 permissions) and try to install a mod, I progress to the next stage. It says all tests are passed and that I can install the mod, no problem. I then install the mod 'successfully' and absolutely no changes have been made. I know this because when I go to uninstall the mod, I get the error "test failed" on all files. I then uninstall anyway and go to reinstall - and all of the tests pass again! So no changes have been made.

- Also, I find that files and folders start to appear in the temp directory.

I've already explained this but I want to be absolutely clear.

Also, I used the "chown" command to own all files and folders in the public_html directory (basically the root directory for SMF). However, despite executing this command in the Linux console, it hasn't changed a thing.

I don't know if this is related.. But my FTP client STILL tells me that some files are owned by "48", while other are owned by "501". I have no idea what this means.

Basically I'm stuck.. Help?

*UPDATE*

When I went to install the mod, I looked through all of the files it was changing and made sure that their permissions were set to "777" (I only had to alter like 4 files). Anyway, I "successfully" installed it again, then went to uninstall it and I got "Test Successful" on all of the altered files. Still, the mod didn't work but it shows you that SMF was not correctly altering permissions on my files via FTP. Grrrr getting annoyed I want to put my forum up soon.

[Jack_40k]

So nobody can get mods to install is that correct?

I've had package manager issues with every single version of SMF I've used (since 1.1.2). It's a bloody wild goose chase getting the thing to work, what a muck up.

Anyway aside from my 2 cents there, I've uploaded

[Tyrsson]

Since your server is not set up correctly to allow apache to run the script changes as your user you are losing ownership of the files that have been modified. Also the link you post doesnt help much since the phpinfo file has to be on you server.. Can you please post a good link to phpinfo.

[Jack_40k]

Actually it's not a .php file, it's saved as a .htm webpage so you should be able to view it.

Also: SMF is running on a virtual server on my PC, it's not good posting a link to you..

Thanks

[Tyrsson]

Do you know what a phpinfo file does? It will show me or another team member the configuration used on your server which could be useful. If you do not wish to post a public link to the file, please just send me a link in a PM.

[Jack_40k]

I don't understand. I have attached the file to my post above. You can view the configuration of my server. It is useful, yes, why cannot you download and view it? It is in a .rar file attached above: " php_info.rar (13.62 kB - downloaded 1 times.)"

Please let me know why you cannot download and view it and I'll try to resolve the issue.

[Tyrsson]

These compile flags would be where I would start. You do not have xml reader or writer enabled as from your phpinfo:

Code Select Expand

'--disable-xmlreader' '--disable-xmlwriter'

[Jack_40k]

OK well anyway I fixed the issue.

It was indeed an ownership problem and the way to fix it is to change the ownership on all files and folder to 'Apache'. Also, once you install a package, you need to make sure that you change the ownership on the added/modified files to Apache as well (as new files/folders will be added under the users ownership).

I successfully installed some packages, its fine.

I, however, have a new issue described here: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=395257.0

It never ends..........

[painterforum20]

I too have had problems with the package manager since the days of yabbse.. Now I am having the same problem as Jack, sez it is installed but no changes were made. I even uploaded the package zip from my computer so that I would "OWN" the file, added the temp folder set to 777 and now the manager will not unzip the files to the temp folder.    Installing packages is a nightmare... at least for some of us. 

EDIT: It finally did extract the files but ownership is apache... This is maddening. 

[Tyrsson]

EDIT: It finally did extract the files but ownership is apache... This is maddening. 

This problem is usually encountered on servers that are not configured to allow apache/php to execute as the account owner. You need to inquire from your host about installing and configuring suPhp/suExec on your server or this problem will not go away. It is not a simple machines error, it is a server config issue.

At the moment, since you lost ownership you can not chmod files. Your host will need to run a recursive chown back to your account user so that you can edit file permissions.

[Tyrsson]

OK well anyway I fixed the issue.

It was indeed an ownership problem and the way to fix it is to change the ownership on all files and folder to 'Apache'. Also, once you install a package, you need to make sure that you change the ownership on the added/modified files to Apache as well (as new files/folders will be added under the users ownership).

I successfully installed some packages, its fine.

I, however, have a new issue described here: http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=395257.0

It never ends..........

This is NOT the proper way to fix the issue. Please see my above post.

[painterforum20]

Thanks Tyrsson,

The problem is indeed with the server, not with SMF, and exactly as you described. I moved my site  and DB to their new "Cloud" server and everything works as intended. 

Thanks again,
Roger