Problems with package manager RC5

[lord alibaski]

I've just upgraded RC4 to RC5 and now it wont let me install 1 single modification.

These are the mods im trying to install.

Aeva-Lite-7.1.708
MemberColorLink308
ReadTheRulesLinkAbovePostButton-v2.0
treasury_v2.09

All permission settings are set to writeable for the packages, I had to set settings/settings.bak.php to 777 before it letme even click on install any of the mods.

Though once I clicked on the modification all I seem to get is

You cannot download or install new packages because the Packages directory or one of the files in it are not writable!

I did eventually install the Aeva & the donation mods but none appeared on the forum.

Now and again if I delete the mod and re-up it via the forum package manager it changes the format to Apache so I created a temp folder in packages because this supposed to fix this kind of issue but still no luck.

So I tried it via ftp and still had no luck with installing any of the packages.

Can anyone assist me with this issue please.

If any member from the smf team would look into this for me I would pass all details over via pm because my forum is private.

Thanks Lord Alibaski

[dennis2011]

im havin the same problems to behonest smf is a bit funny about installing mods etc u get many errors

sory i cnt help

[lord alibaski]

Well I didn't really want to do this but the lack of support for this has changed my mind about smf and is tempting me to change to another software.

I don't really want to go back to rc4 because alot of modifications I need are being updated to rc5 but the lack of support with this issue is making me go elsewhere.

Myself and a friend were trying for hours last night trying to sort this issue out but to no conclusion we could not get any of the modifications installed and working at all.

[MC73]

I have 2 of the above packages on my site - with zero troubles ............

When you cmd mod via ftp - did you change all the files to 777 or eqv , not just the packages file ?

[lord alibaski]

We have tried everything m8 and we had 2 of them installed the Aeva and treasury mods but none of them showed up in the admin panel at all.

The Aeva and treasury mods supposed to come up with its own little section in AP but none of them did.

This is a bit weird because like I said it worked flawlessly in rc4 but since my upgrade its gone up the creek.


I cleaned my database also last night of all mod installations to see if I could start from fresh but still nothing has helped.

[MrPhil]

Well I didn't really want to do this but the lack of support for this has changed my mind about smf and is tempting me to change to another software.

Less than 24 hours without a fix and you're giving up? Good-bye and...

Myself and a friend were trying for hours last night trying to sort this issue out but to no conclusion we could not get any of the modifications installed and working at all.

Obviously you have no idea what you're doing, then. You have to understand how permissions work on your particular server -- what's allowed (777/666 "world writable" is sometimes forbidden) and what permissions PHP needs in order to write to directories and files. Sometimes PHP runs as "owner" and other times as "group" or even "world", and permissions need to be different in all three cases. Read my sig > FAQs > Proper Permissions.

[lord alibaski]

Less than 24 hours without a fix and you're giving up? Good-bye and

Like I said I don't want to give up, but the lack of support for this certain issue isn't helping and your attitude doesn't help either.

Obviously you have no idea what you're doing, then. You have to understand how permissions work on your particular server -- what's allowed (777/666 "world writable" is sometimes forbidden) and what permissions PHP needs in order to write to directories and files. Sometimes PHP runs as "owner" and other times as "group" or even "world", and permissions need to be different in all three cases. Read my sig > FAQs > Proper Permissions.

Obviously you have no idea on my friends and my ability on understanding of smf and its permissions...and your lack of manners in thinking this when I have clearly stated what we have tried with all different permissions.

We will carry on with testing over the next few days, he runs the actual host its on and he's had to turn off some security settings this might be causing some issues with the installation of the modifications. If we cant fix the issue within rc5 then I will go back to rc4 and see if the issue persist and if it does then I will be moving to another software not from lack of respect to smf just because some of the modifications I need wont work with smf but do elsewhere.

[MrPhil]

All support here is by volunteers donating their time to help others. It doesn't help when someone demands instant fixes and leaves in a huff when they don't get immediate turnaround. If you must have that, you have to pay for it.

Either you have a horribly configured host, or you don't understand permissions at all, if you have to make PHP files 777.

...and good riddance.

[lord alibaski]

All support here is by volunteers donating their time to help others. It doesn't help when someone demands instant fixes and leaves in a huff when they don't get immediate turnaround. If you must have that, you have to pay for it.

Either you have a horribly configured host, or you don't understand permissions at all, if you have to make PHP files 777.

...and good riddance.

A horrible configured host that worked flawlessly with rc4?? your one single track minded individual who seems to think that everyone works on the same permissions when clearly we haven't.

Your attitude towards trying to help is getting worse by each sentence you type I think you should just sit out of this one if you haven't got anything constructive to say.

[MC73]

Besides from cmd mod all public files to 777 .... uninstall and delete all packages ..... run large upgrade .... and then start again , then i have no clue personally , but at least i tried to help.,

I wouldn't quit this easy, although php is new to many of us, some of us gets a thrill of figuring things out, we just love the challenge. Hope ya get it working.

[lord alibaski]

Hi m8 at least your replies are sensible not full of hate when all I am trying to do is ask for help not critism.

I did do a full uprade from rc4 to rc5 since then I've not been able to install any mods.

I have just tried again with the treasury mod, now this is weird once I click install the aeva mod come up??? this has happened twice now. I tried it again to install it but once again I get the writeable error, aslo notice now on every mod I try to install its giving me the modification parse error but like I said I have tried adding the temp folder I have noticed it delete this folder but not on every occasion.

Just wish I had more help with this because I do like smf and I personally dont want to be paying high prices for a different forum software.

[CapadY]

As said, it DID work properly with RC4
But after that some security modifications are made and nobody can tell if it's still work propely with RC4. As a matter of fact I don't think so.

When there are real problems with the package installer it is nearly always a problem with the server settings.
And for support it's very difficult to find out what's wrong with a server because we cann't see the settings and can't change them either.
The only thing we can do is listen to what users are telling us and often thats not the complete story. And that's not because they don't want to tell, it's just because they don't see the importance.

By the way, I did it even myself this noon. Not giving enough info to solve an SMF problem.

And ofcourse, you can run away and choose another software package.
But I would be glad to hear wich software package you've fount with a good MOD-installer.

[lord alibaski]

Hi CapadY

Thank you for another decent reply.

So do you think me going back to rc4 wont fix this problem?

It's not really about which package software offers me the best mod installer m8 it's about which mod I want to use. Currently the main mod I want to use is being updated to rc5 but if I cant install any mods then I need to find the right software package that works for me. The software package that I am looking at supplies the same kind of mod which we need and is currently installing and working fine on that software package.

If we could fix this issue then I will definitely stay with smf because it has never let me down until now!

Plus I dont want to be forking out a lot of money just for forum software which I think is silly.

[CapadY]

So do you think me going back to rc4 wont fix this problem?

Yes, I do.

Why ? Because this isn't a SMF problem but a server problem.
Remind, all files that have to be edit by a MOD should be writeable. If not, a MOD can't be installed.
And if a file (or directory) van be changed don't only depend to the permissions of that file/directory but also also to the ownership.
You'll have to check that all very carefully. And where needed correct it.

Furthermore, there should be a temp-directory in the package directory with write permissions and the right ownership.
It is impossible for me to tell which owner your files/directories should have, it depends for each server.
Same for permissions. Some servers have no problem with 777 permissions, others do have.

[lord alibaski]

Well after deleting amd re-upping everything.

My friend spent about 2hrs on this going through every permission setting and you know what he finally got it working...

I've just got to go through all the permissions myself now to set them all at default permissions then I can get my forum back up and running properly.

Think he deserves a nice cold beer for this saved me a lot of money didn't really want to fork out cash just to install modifications.

Thanks for the advice lads.

[CapadY]

So, it wasn't a SMF problem but an server problem ?

Glad te be solve.

[lord alibaski]

Once I uploaded it again the problem was still there but he found the folder which was causing the issue ...1st he created a temp folder but that didn't work for some reason, it worked once he renamed it to tmp and he set it as a root folder and that fixed the issue...so I don't know myself if it was a smf or server problem!

It's all working fine now but my forum has no security at the moment because of the permissions are set right, just need 2 more mods installing when they've been updated then I can set my permissions and reopen the forum.