Image Handler 4 (for v1.5.x) Support Thread

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.

IH4 creates copies of your images (leaving the original images untouched) and resizes and optimizes them and stores them in the bmz_cache folder. This way, IH4 can serve up various sized, already optimized images on the fly as pages load when visitors browse your store. This is why you are seeing continual additions to that folder.

Emptying the bmz_cache folder will simply cause IH4 to recreate the copies. For sites that have a lot of images, this is a good thing to do from time to time as a part of your regular server maintenance.

The clear cache tool in the admin was designed to do this for you at the click of a button, but it doesn't work, so clearing the cache must be done manually either through your cpanel's filemanager or an ftp program.

Now, regarding the snapshot addon - this tool is designed to take a snapshot of your files and folders at various points in time for the purpose of being able to quickly and easily compare the contents of your store between one point of time and another to easily identify differences in the event of a hack.

Since files are being continually created by IH4 and stored in the bmz_cache folder, you will naturally have differences in your snapshots.

Changing the IH4 script to force all images to be created at once and then stored undermines the core functionality of IH4 and is not recommended.

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.

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So am I correct in saying that IH only creates the optimized images as they are requested?

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can serve up various sized, already optimized images on the fly as pages load when visitors browse your store

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Does this mean that the imiages are created on demand for the first request and then available from that point on from the bmzcache?

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

So am I correct in saying that IH only creates the optimized images as they are requested?

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Yep, this is my understanding.

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

Does this mean that the imiages are created on demand for the first request and then available from that point on from the bmzcache?

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Yes, my understanding is that this is how it works up to and until the cache is cleared. But..."first request" may be only in terms of visitor sessions/browser sessions (vs. the idea that one visitor browsing every single page of your store can completely create the bmz_cache folder files that will never ever change again). I have noticed that on my test site that nobody visits but me, the bmz_cache folder seems to grow over time.

So quite honestly, I would love for Diva or one of the other gurus that know this addon inside out and backwards to chime in on this point to make sure the info you're getting is entirely accurate.

There may be a bit more going on in the background that I'm not aware of :smile:

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?

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This is actually covered in the readme and on the first page of this support thread..

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?

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No..

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?

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Clears the cache folders.. We did do some work on this for IH4, so it should be working now..

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Originally Posted by gruntre69

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.

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there is an .htaccess file in the bmz_cache folder just like there is one in nearly every Zen Cart folder which should adequately prevent this activity..

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Originally Posted by ScriptJunkie

Yep, this is my understanding.

Yes, my understanding is that this is how it works up to and until the cache is cleared. But..."first request" may be only in terms of visitor sessions/browser sessions (vs. the idea that one visitor browsing every single page of your store can completely create the bmz_cache folder files that will never ever change again). I have noticed that on my test site that nobody visits but me, the bmz_cache folder seems to grow over time.

So quite honestly, I would love for Diva or one of the other gurus that know this addon inside out and backwards to chime in on this point to make sure the info you're getting is entirely accurate.

There may be a bit more going on in the background that I'm not aware of :smile:

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What you said is true.. first request is just that. The first request for the image. Once this first request is initiated, then after that any subsequent visits to that same page are served the image in the bmz_cache that was created..

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Originally Posted by uswebworx

I just moved to ZenLightbox and am now 100000000% happy with IH4! Thanks for the help and suggestion above, I am usually a lurker here or a Godaddy brasher, I should had kept searching instead of posting:clap:!

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Good to hear this!!!

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Originally Posted by DivaVocals

Good to hear this!!!

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Yep now if I can fix the other issue, I'll be almost live! Add to cart disappeared to a 400004 page (yes 404)

Hi everyone,
i have a strange problem after the Image Handler 4 installation on Zen cart 1.5.0.
All seems to work fine but in administration-->catalog-->products and categories, i am able to switch on/off the category/subcategory by clicking on the relative button red/green but not the products...
If i try to switch on/off one single product, nothing appens....
Since the installation of image handler affect the admin\includes\modules\category_product_listing.php, i've tryed to replace the new file with the std file and the problem was solved, but i don't know if i can use the std file instead the new without any problem....
Anyone has the same problem?
Thanks
Andrea

@andrea
What I believe ( and I may be proved wrong ) is that the only alterations IH makes to that file is to add a link to image handler to each product row. It appears in the icons over to the right. So what I am saying is that if you use the default version of that file then you won't have that functionality but it should not cause problems elsewhere.

This is why I say it always pays to search through the thread. This has already been discussed and a solution posted please search to locate the solution.

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Originally Posted by andreagiov

Hi everyone,
i have a strange problem after the Image Handler 4 installation on Zen cart 1.5.0.
All seems to work fine but in administration-->catalog-->products and categories, i am able to switch on/off the category/subcategory by clicking on the relative button red/green but not the products...
If i try to switch on/off one single product, nothing appens....
Since the installation of image handler affect the admin\includes\modules\category_product_listing.php, i've tryed to replace the new file with the std file and the problem was solved, but i don't know if i can use the std file instead the new without any problem....
Anyone has the same problem?
Thanks
Andrea

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