Site just looks wrong - what have(n't) I done?

Brand new install using 1.3.8 onto a new Linux server. The zc_install process all worked nicely and then when I use the admin page or actual site it's just plain wrong. This is only my second site but I'm sure I've followed the instructions (and I repeated with the same result). This is a test domain (registered of course) to use before going onto the live site and I can't even get this to work!!

Please take a look at

www.cgwtest.co.uk

and tell me what I've done wrong. Set your watch before clicking the button - I bet someone will see what a dummy I've been within 10 seconds.

Please...

The server is hosted by Fasthosts. I know they're getting stick at the moment but I've been with them for years without problems. This is my first Linux hosted site as it appears this is better than Windows which actually (apart from not being able to change file permissions) is working perfectly for my other site. I would have jumped to .PHP run errors but as I said above the zc_install scripts worked just as expected.

No prizes for the quickest person to see what an ###### I've been.

:frusty:

Looks to me at first glance that your CSS file doesn't match your template files. By that I mean looks like you have tried to install a new template and not all the files are in place, namely the stylesheet.css file.

Or is this an out of the box installtion so to speak?

Thanks for the quick response.

Brand new out of the box install. Just ran the zc_install, set permissions on the configure.php files and went to .../admin

That looks just as bad.

The site is still set to /classic/, but none of the stylesheets is in place (/includes/templates/classic/css/stylesheet.css, /includes/templates/classic/css/stylesheet_css_buttons.css, /includes/templates/classic/css/print_stylesheet.css).

You have no CSS at all - yoursite.co.uk/includes/templates/classic/css/stylesheet.css is where it should be - it looks like not all the files uploaded correctly to me before you ran the install.

Maybe somebody else can assist further as to why it would be, I'm guessing when you FTP'd the files something went wrong. I'd try uploading them again if it were me and reinstalling, unless someone has a more educated solution than mine

OK, I believe you of course but using my FTP program I can see them, exactly where you indicate they should be and when I open them they look as I'd expect.

The zc_install presumably doesn't need any CSS which is why everything looked OK. Could CSS be disabled?

I've just looked at the style data using F12 from IE8 and you're spot on, there's no CSS information BUT I'm sure the files are present.

Thanks for looking.

If this is the first time you are dealing with this server, perhaps there is some permission or setting that is disabling the stylesheets or not letting the other files link to them. You might ask your host.

Hold on, that's strange. Looking at the folder on my local drive which contains the expanded download file I see a load of stuff from my other site. I have no idea where that came from. Anyway it means my assertion that this is a fresh upload from the 1.3.8 is plain wrong.

So scrap the above until I've repeated the full upload from a 'real' brand new 1.3.8 download.

I'll try to do better next time. That's not to say it's now going to work, just that you kind people shouldn't be wasting your time on this.

:oops:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gjh42

If this is the first time you are dealing with this server, perhaps there is some permission or setting that is disabling the stylesheets or not letting the other files link to them. You might ask your host.

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http://www.cgwtest.co.uk//includes/t...stylesheet.css

That brings up a 500 server error, I'd be expecting to be able to see the whole stylesheet there?

I get a 404 not found, with or without the double // before includes.
Maybe the OP is in the middle of deleting and reinstalling?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gjh42

I get a 404 not found, with or without the double // before includes.
Maybe the OP is in the middle of deleting and reinstalling?

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Looks like for once I was quicker than you :wink:

Yep, I'm in the middle of a complete delete/reinstall.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick Yard

Yep, I'm in the middle of a complete delete/reinstall.

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Concentrate on it this time and stop chatting here LOL :wink:

Still not working.

You can see this time I haven't even changed the permissions on the configure files. And still get the 500 error on the CSS files.

I've tried changing file permissions but no joy.

:frusty:

Two things...

1) Do fasthosts offer a cpanel/Fantastico installer for ZenCart? Maybe try that? It's not endorsed by Zen Cart itself, but it might lead you to see where the problem lies

2) I was lead to believe Fasthosts support was pretty good, might be worth dropping them a note asking what the issue is

It's not an error/issue I ever came across before, the only thing I can think to try now is changing the .htaccess files and renaming them to htaccess.bak

Wow!!! I tend not to go by anonymous reviews, but the 'evidence' here would suggest they're not so popular - http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews80572.html

Mind you, in their defence, a lot of these guest clients of theirs do seem to be neanderthals.

Well, your stylesheets and lots of image/button files are still missing. What FTP programme are you using? And please don't say Internet Explorer!

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

Well, your stylesheets and lots of image/button files are still missing. What FTP programme are you using? And please don't say Internet Explorer!

Vger

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I think we've already ascertained from what Rick said, the files have been uploaded and are showing from his side. Unless it's a fantastically bad FTP program he's using I can't see that's the issue here.

He's getting a 500 server error once he's uploaded them, not a 404...

Well, when I looked at the site just a few minutes ago, there was no "500 Internal Server" error, just no stylesheets and missing images/buttons.

As this is Fasthosts we're talking about there's one thing he can try, and that's to remove the .htaccess file from the includes folder, or edit it to read:

Code:

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<Files "*.php">
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
</Files>

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Vger

What I meant though, here is where his stylesheet should be, and it's giving the 500 error, not when you access the site itself

I'd agree about removing/renaming the .htaccess file, though editing it as you suggest I have no idea, either way, worth a try

If renaming/deleting/editing the htacess in the includes folder DOES solve this, he also needs to do the same in the admin/includes folder I think...?

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Twaddle

What I meant though, here is where his stylesheet should be, and it's giving the 500 error, not when you access the site itself

I'd agree about removing/renaming the .htaccess file, though editing it as you suggest I have no idea, either way, worth a try

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The reason for the suggested edit of the .htaccess file is that my experience tells me that some servers won't accept the file as it is written by default and needs for the *.php to be enclosed in double quotation marks (then it works). This is preferable to removing the .htaccess file.

Yes, the same would need to be applied to the admin/includes .htaccess file.

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

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Not on a standard install it shouldn't

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

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LOL - no error here

:wink::wink::wink:

Quote:

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Not on a standard install it shouldn't

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Yes, it should - unless you are on an insecure server with Directory Browsing enabled. In which case you're stuffed anyway from a security point of view. If Directory Browsing is enabled then goodness knows what other insecure openings there are on the server.

You should be seeing something like this when trying to access files outside of the root directly:

Quote:

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Access forbidden!
You don't have permission to access the requested object. It is either read-protected or not readable by the server.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 403

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Vger

That's because the stylesheet for that application is not in the 'includes' folder, or any of the subfolders working out of it.

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Twaddle

LOL - no error here

:wink::wink::wink:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

That's because the stylesheet for that application is not in the 'includes' folder, or any of the subfolders working out of it.

Vger

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But you said...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

You should be seeing something like this when trying to access files outside of the root directly:

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Quote:

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Access forbidden!
You don't have permission to access the requested object. It is either read-protected or not readable by the server.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 403

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Anyway, not to get into some dumb ding dong as I was just pulling your leg a bit there, my point is, at a guess 9/10 sites (you only have to look at any of the showcase sites) you can directly access the stylesheet if you know the relevant path

And if I remember correctly it's all controlled by Index Listing in cPanel for each directory?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Twaddle

at a guess 9/10 sites (you only have to look at any of the showcase sites) you can directly access the stylesheet if you know the relevant path

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Using includes/templates/classic/css/stylesheet.css and going through the sites in the Zen Cart Showcase, I was able to read each and every one of the CSS files directly within Firefox on the first page there, with the exception of one that came up with a phishing error

No, fair do's, I was wrong. The css files are flat text files which aren't executable, and the poster should be able to access them from outside of the site. I've checked on a variety of carts now on different servers and they all serve up css files outside of the root. Just goes to show even oldies like me can get it wrong sometimes.

However, the way the .htaccess file is constructed inside the includes folders may still be relevant (even though they relate to php files). Images/buttons are also being blocked. I recommend making the edit I suggested, and if that does not work then try adding just a blank .htaccess file to the includes folders - and if that doesn't work then remove it completely (as a trial only).

Making the edit as suggested has cured this problem before.

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

No, fair do's, I was wrong. The css files are flat text files which aren't executable, and the poster should be able to access them from outside of the site. I've checked on a variety of carts now on different servers and they all serve up css files outside of the root. Just goes to show even oldies like me can get it wrong sometimes.

However, the way the .htaccess file is constructed inside the includes folders may still be relevant (even though they relate to php files). Images/buttons are also being blocked. I recommend making the edit I suggested, and if that does not work then try adding just a blank .htaccess file to the includes folders - and if that doesn't work then remove it completely (as a trial only).

Making the edit as suggested has cured this problem before.

Vger

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Don't beat yourself LOL :D - I'm pretty sure what you say is correct, but it's not default on any of my hosting and like I said/tried to remember, you usually have to set up in cPanel using Index Listing. If someone wants to read my CSS files though, they're welcome, I can't see it's a big security issue is it?

I can't remember where I read the trick about the .htaccess file, it was probably on here somewhere to be honest though. Looks like Rick's gone to bed and given up for the night anyway...

I'll look forward to reading tomorrow to see if it's worked for him.... I should hit the hay also....

If you read about the includes .htaccess causing problems on these forums then the reply was probably from me. I do seem to remember someone else having the same problem and that my suggested solution worked for them. It also would not surprise me if they weren't also hosted with Fasthosts.

Just shouldn't post at 1 am in the morning - brain doesn't work right at that time.

Vger

LOL - grab your cocoa earlier tonight, Grandpa :wink:

I think here's what I was reading about, certainly ties in with some of the problems he's experiencing - https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/i...hp?article=235

...and here's the thread I think you are part referring to - http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124757

Quote:

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grab your cocoa earlier tonight, Grandpa

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Grandma actually.

Vger

Oops!!! My apologies, Gran!!!! :blush:

First the good news - it's working!! Thanks guys.

:clap:

The 'solution' as correctly identified was to rename the .htaccess file and that fixed it.

I'm not totally comfortable leaving it that way so now I need to understand what the solution should be. I did note at the top of the file that this is for Apache servers only - and this is my first Apache site.

Thanks for your help in identifying the problem lay with the failure to load the CSS files and that it's a permissions problem. That saved me hours

(And my name isn't Rick - it's Simon. Rickyard is my domain and house name. It was only after typing into this forum with a space that I realised it could be confused with someone's name and I'd never seen it that way. And I'm so happy this is sorted you can even call me Susan, I just don't care!!)

Thanks Guys.

Excellent. We'll catch you on another help thread then when you muck up step 2 :P

Only kidding... give me a break still step 4 :D :D

If I can try to be serious for just one moment, glad that's sorted, Shirley and we can now all have a group hug :hug:

The solution long term I think is if you plan to keep running Zen Cart, it's to find a hosting company that supports and understands it

You'll get as much supprt as you could ask for on here within reason, but if your server is manned by monkeys and worst so set up by chimps you don't stand a cat in hell's chance of getting this software to work at it's best

Quote:

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The 'solution' as correctly identified was to rename the .htaccess file and that fixed it.

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As you're hosted with Fasthosts putting *.php within double quotation marks will also work, without disabling .htaccess within the includes folders.

Vger

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vger

As you're hosted with Fasthosts putting *.php within double quotation marks will also work, without disabling .htaccess within the includes folders.

Vger

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Now now, Grandma, you know it's late. And I'm sure all the Archers have also gone to beddy-byes a while back :D

(Just on a side note, when I first came here in November 2000 the world service used to broadcast some doctor/nurse/hosital serial. I might tune in and try find out what happened to Sam, last I heard some Doc had knocked her up. I guess the wee kid will be at school now. Pity to miss them grow up)

Maybe I'll make it to Prague one of these days - but the problem is that Paris is so damn wonderful it's hard to want to go anywhere else :D

Vger

Hey you could do worse. Prague... Paris... Berlin also... excellent cities... also I visit Leipzig a lot, it's a dump but I prefer it to Baisingstoke for example :D