"FTP Information Required" not working

[Scferg]

Whenever I try to install mods that require further file permission changes, and I have to enter my FTP info, it never works. I know my info is correct because I use it all the time for my FTP client.

I enter my FTP info, then click Proceed...the page loads and loads, and eventually goes to a blank page and the mod doesn't apply.

Any ideas on what the issue is?

[greyknight17]

See if this will help. Go to your forum->Admin->Packages->Options tab and click on the make all files writable option and hit the Change file permissions button. Then try installing the mod again.

[Scferg]

Ok, will try it.

Thanks!

[Scferg]

When I clicked the "Change File Permissions" button to save the changes, it took me to that dang FTP Information Required screen. Well, I tried it once more...entered my FTP info and clicked Proceed... same result.

It used to work, I don't know why all of a sudden it doesn't.

[greyknight17]

Give this a try....

Go to Admin->Packages->Options and uncheck Create Backup versions of replaced files with a tilde (~) on the end of their names. Try installing a mod now.

[Scferg]

Nope, same thing happens...

I guess it's my server then...

[greyknight17]

I don't know why this is happening...try asking your host to see if they might have an idea why. I'll try to search for an answer as there has been a few other users with similar issues.

[Scferg]

Ok...appreciate it!

[Sarge]

Upload and run fix_ownership.php and write down the path it reports.

Also, what do you see as the login directory in your FTP client program at the moment you log in via FTP? Do you see / (just a slash), or /public_html or anything else?

[Scferg]

Ok, so I ran that fix_ownership.php file, and when I clicked "Connect!", it went to a blank page, exactly what I'm having issues with with my forum.

When I start my FTP client, it goes to /public_html   I set it that way so that I don't accidentally delete an important system file. I can always switch it to just /

[Sarge]

Read this post (it's a bit lengthy):
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=28393.msg1323590#msg1323590

[Jumbobeef]

I had this problem, and got around it by replacing 'localhost' with 'www.mydomain.com'

[Scferg]

It still doesn't work and I ran and saved (and then deleted) repair_settings.php

Nothing seems to help =/

[Sarge]

It still doesn't work and I ran and saved (and then deleted) repair_settings.php

Nothing seems to help =/

Have you tried anything from the post I linked to?

[picture]

I logged in just to add this advice cuz I've been trying different things for 3 days...

We transferred our SMF to a dedicated server, and tried repair_settings.php, manual CHMOD, Package Manager Options, Backup Installations with tilde ~, Cleanup Permissions, FTP Information, etc. and nothing worked.

Then we realized that the FTP Information prompt works only with port 21 and that our WHM hosting account had been setup as default proftp instead of pureftp and the main FTP account login was defaulting to port 22 SFTP SSH.

You must switch your WHM to pureftp which will activate port 21 default. Then make your username in the FTP Information box your simple main account WHM/cPanel username, not email-format username. Host should be localhost.

Also a key problem arises from users not understanding the difference between Local Path and Root Path/Absolute Path. Local Path is the path that your ftp username uses when logging in to FTP.

If you setup an FTP account to "land" in public_html automatically, than your Local Path should simply be "/forum" or "/smf" etc. but never "/public_html/forum"...

Hope this post saves some users many hours of trouble in the future!

[Sarge]

If you setup an FTP account to "land" in public_html automatically, than your Local Path should simply be "/forum" or "/smf" etc. but never "/public_html/forum"...

If you put / (a forward slash) in front of Local Path, SMF will assume the path starts from the root of the server, which is usually not true. So, in the case you mentioned, you should put forum or smf -- there should be no / (slash) at the start or the end of the path.