Site not generating error log

[Oboiro500]

Hi,
My SMF site is displaying white page. Reported to my ISP. I got the response that "Your site not triggering an error message in the apache log and the site is not generating it's own error log. (Last entry for the error log on your cpanel accoun tis from 2015. )

Please ask the person who is providing the script:

Is there any specific PHP version or module the script needs.
If they get the script to provide a more verbose error output. "

(Please not that there was a mistake before that my destinycontrolmetaphysics.org/index.ph+1d45+p file was missing. My ISP was looking at wrong folder, destinycontrolmetaphysics.org/
while  the index.php of my site is at
DestinyControlMetaphysics.org/
I started a topic that index.ph+1d45+p file was missing. I shall discontinue that.)

[Kindred]

if it is a true white screen (no text on the screen at all) then the SYSTEM should be generating an error log.
If it is not, then there is a problem with your HOST...    because SMF can not generate an error log if php itself is failing (which is usually the result of the WSoD)

the minimum requirements for SMF are http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/SMF2.0:Requirements_and_recommendations

but it would be much easier if your host or you would tell US what you are running.....

[Oboiro500]

The screen is not showing anything at all. I am running Windows7.address is
My web address is http://destinycontrolmetaphysics.org/index.php

[Oboiro500]

My HOST has sent this:
"Your server is running
CloudLinux Server release 6.7

Since there is blank screen, please update the person that is providing the script with that information and let us know their response."

[Kindred]

My respobse? Get a new host who has a clue...

[Oboiro500]

Hi,
I have always had my reservations about my host. I thought they were just lazy in their approach. But, my business must continue. Do you have suggestions of hosts that I can chose from? I am on a budget.

[Illori]

http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=155.0

[Oboiro500]

I sent your response to my ISP that I should find another host that has a clue, and this is what they say:
"I looked into the error logs. I can confirm that the content is loaded from
/home/spirit/public_html/DestinyControlMetaphysics.org

And I can load any script, but index.php is not working.

When a blank page is loaded and no errors are logged by apache, then there is something incorrect in the configuration of that script. I am sorry, but detailed scripting support is beyond our scope.

If they have specific settings/modules that they need for this script , please advise which ones so we can check if we can provide them."

[Sir Osis of Liver]

If you can pm FTP access, I'll have a look.

[Arantor]

As a temporary 'let's see if we can see some error of some kind', change the following in index.php:

Code Select Expand

set_error_handler('error_handler');

to

Code Select Expand

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 'On');

This should, in theory, show us something. Even if it doesn't, we still learn something from it.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

It's a bit odd.  agreement.txt is in forum root, but subscriptions.php does not run, it usually throws an error if you link directly.

[Arantor]

Not surprising; subscriptions.php loads SSI.php which loads a bunch of core files. So something's failing in a core file. In which case the above mentioned error_reporting() and ini_set should be pretty much the first thing in index.php.

[Oboiro500]

This is the reply from my host: "I made a copy of your index file and edited the lines, as requested. "
The web page opens  now with the whole page full of a bunch.
View the page here: http://www.destinycontrolmetaphysics.org/index.php.

[Deprecated]

My experience is that customer support knows nothing. Fix things on your own is the only realistic solution.

1. try adding a php file <?php echo"hello"; ?> and see if that works.

2. try adding a php file <?php phpinfo(); ?> and see if you can make head and tail of it.

3. try installing a fresh copy of SMF in a subdirectory like /forum/ and see if that works.

In software sometimes you have to try 1,000 things to get 1 thing to work.

[nend]

This is the reply from my host: "I made a copy of your index file and edited the lines, as requested. "
The web page opens  now with the whole page full of a bunch.
View the page here: http://www.destinycontrolmetaphysics.org/index.php.

It looks like they left out the PHP tags, honestly I don't think they have a clue as to what they are doing.

[Oboiro500]

They asked earlier "Please ask the person who is providing the script:

Is there any specific PHP version or module the script needs.
If they get the script to provide a more verbose error output." And I sent this to you. Could you please provide the PHP tags?

[Arantor]

That's because that's their pre-written script and the only modules SMF needs, it would have told you about during installation if you didn't have them.

But since your host feels it's necessary:
* ext/MySQL
* gd
* bcmath if using OpenID
* some mods like SimpleXML
* some mods also use JSON which wasn't core until 5.3 or so

Your host is still incompetent though.

[Oboiro500]

I have sent them the script.

[Oboiro500]

This is their response: "If I understood correctly,there should be some changes in index.php script.

Please note that, as my colleague already said, detailed scripting support is beyond our scope.


For any further assistance feel free to contact us.
We will gladly help you."

What next? You agree that the issue is indeed with the script. Even if I have to change my host, this issue with the script needs to be resolved immediately.

[Illori]

if you change hosts, you may get something in the error log like you should be getting now and we can resolve the issue.

you could try http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/How_to_upload_a_fresh_set_of_files but i bet there are other issues on the server.

[Arantor]

No, I agree there is an issue with your host and their checklist of problem solving. And their utter inability to do anything about fixing it.

[Oboiro500]

I cannot change my  host yet as I need some time to select. Meanwhile I want to attempt some other suggestions.
1. Aranto suggested the following:

As a temporary 'let's see if we can see some error of some kind', change the following in index.php:

Code Select Expand

set_error_handler('error_handler');
to

Code Select Expand

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 'On');

This should, in theory, show us something. Even if it doesn't, we still learn something from it.

My host followed this and we now have something on screen, though not what we want.

2. Deprecated suggested these:

My experience is that customer support knows nothing. Fix things on your own is the only realistic solution.

1. try adding a php file <?php echo"hello"; ?> and see if that works.

2. try adding a php file <?php phpinfo(); ?> and see if you can make head and tail of it.

3. try installing a fresh copy of SMF in a subdirectory like /forum/ and see if that works.

In software sometimes you have to try 1,000 things to get 1 thing to work.

I am attracted to his option 3.

1.1 This should make it generate error log and we can deal with that, is'nt it?
2.1 This should remove amendment made to present php
3.1 I can still transfer all my files as if I changed host.

Am I correct? Correct me if I am wrong.

[Illori]

if you go with option 3, you will not get an error log generated unless there are errors. you should look at my suggestion on the prior page to start with clean files.

[Oboiro500]

If I understand correctly, the problem is with the index.php file not working. You mean this would start working if I reinstalled a copy of SMF on a new sub-directory? 

[Illori]

all of SMF is put through index.php so there is possibly no issue with index.php but in one of the hundred or so other SMF files.
reinstalling SMF in the CURRENT directory may help to resolve the issue.

[Oboiro500]

Ok, I should reinstall in CURRENT directory, and the present issue would be resolved.
I have visited Softaculous, and the present SMF version is 2.0.11. I would be installing this. Please confirm.

[Kindred]

There may be many causes for your problem. Our biggest issue with trying to help you is that your host is run by idiots who apparently have scripted helpdesks, and have no one who actually understands the system

Without the server error lig, we are just guessing.
The fact that your host can not generate that server log is what is truly pathetic.
We are fairly certain that the the issue lues somewhwre in your set of files... we agree with the host on that... but they need to have an error log on the server side, since the issue kills php and thus never makes it to the smf script and smf logs.

I also  dont know why you keep asking your host to edit files... just edit them yourself...

And do notvuse softaculous

[Oboiro500]

I am suspending reinstallation for now. Please, guide me to edit the files to clear this issue.

[Illori]

what edits do you want? really trying to do the clean install may be easier and get you up and running faster.

[Kindred]

As a temporary 'let's see if we can see some error of some kind', change the following in index.php:

Code Select Expand

set_error_handler('error_handler');

to

Code Select Expand

error_reporting(E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', 'On');

This should, in theory, show us something. Even if it doesn't, we still learn something from it.

[Oboiro500]

what edits do you want? really trying to do the clean install may be easier and get you up and running faster.

Ok. All considered, let me do the clean install. You said:

And do notvuse softaculous

What clean copy of SMF do I use? I am running 2.0.5 at present.

[Oboiro500]

I checked Online Manual for which to download. It recommends 2.0.11 I can download this. But, with my SMF webpage not opening, I have no access to the Package Manager. How do I upload it?

[Illori]

using FTP

you could try http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/How_to_upload_a_fresh_set_of_files but i bet there are other issues on the server.

[Oboiro500]

I have downloaded 2.0.11 using FileZilla. I restarted the machine. The problem persists. It showed the page as was amended the last time. First I cleared cache. When that did not work, I changed my browser from Mozilla Firefox to Chrome. No difference.

[Gluz]

Is not that what happens when a cache file is corrupted?

I remember having some issue with the cache in one server (a cheap one, weird configurations) and need to clear the cache folder (except .htaccess and index.php) to make the forum work again, no errors logged anywhere, just a white page.

[Deprecated]

I would be so surprised it would explode my head if my host even offered to help me on a script that I installed. I would expect them to tell me it's their job to keep the server working and my job to install/debug scripts.

As an experiment I would install a fresh SMF in a subdirectiory and see if that works. Or another domain or subdomain if you can (better).

[Kindred]

but the host should always be able to pull the error logs... any host that can not do that is pathetic

[Deprecated]

It appears he is running on a shared ("cloud") server. I would think his errors are all scrambled in with everybody else's errors, and considering it's not untypical for shared hosts to run a couple hundred sites on a shared server, most of the sites run by idiots that couldn't write 2 lines of working code under penalty of defenestration, I don't see how you could expect your (crappy) host to help you solve your code problems.

All I expect from my shared host is to keep the server up and keep it backed up in case it explodes and graces the Internet with a couple hundred fewer useless sites.

I now have the luxury of my own dedicated server and I'm slowly moving sites from the shared host to my own box, and it's a whole different world! I can configure my server any way I want and see (or enable) any logs I want. Of course there is very little in the way of tech support, no cpanel, and I'm on my own: fix it myself or live without it.

I like it that way. No tech support is hardly different from useless tech support, and in the end I learn a lot more solving my own problems instead of asking for help from some script reader.

[Kindred]

I run most of my sites on shared servers.
Properly configured, by the host, not the individual site owners, they generate error logs for MY  site and no one elses...

[Deprecated]

That's good! I've been mostly satisfied with 1&1 for a dozen years, but they started out strong and as they improved their American business (they came from Germany) more and more, their cpanel became less and less responsive, and their previously American support team was offshored ot the Phillipines.

(A few years ago I installed my own phpMyAdmin because 1&1's cpanel PMA was so slow as to be pathetic.)

Meanwhile add a dollar increase for domain registration each year, milking their customers more and more, and oh don't forget to increase the cost of the package each year.

In actuality I got a dedicated server at a ridiculously low price, admittedly uber-low performance, but yet comparable to a VPN at a VPN price, and the important part is that it is MY SERVER and I am the support staff.

Without gradually moving into dedicated server support like I have the last few years (sink or swim, baby!) most SMF forum operators are not sufficiently experienced to to operate a VPN or dedicated server, but if you make the grade the thrill of independence is worth it.

The only problem is that when I call my support telephone number it's always busy... Funny, they have the same phone number as me!