cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
I am a retired computer science teacher helping a friend with her web store and thought installing the Zen Cart 1.5 upgrade would be much easier than installing the original 1.3.9 since my knowledge of Zen Cart is much greater. It has turned into a nightmare.
A couple of years ago I gave up when installing version 1.3.9 and paid for someone to use Fantastico to install.
This time, I am determined to do it myself without Fantastico. I followed the upgrade instructions and did all file comparisons, etc. I set up several "stores" on my local server (Aztec) with absolute success: I first installed the 1.3.9 "store" downloaded from the remote server and worked from there. I upgraded to 1.5 following the upgrade instructions. It took forever to compare all files! All was a total success. The site is up and running 1.5 on my local server without a hitch.
I put together the successful file structure, updated the configure files and uploaded all files to the public_html directory on the remote Aztec server. I verified the requirements to be acceptable. I then attempted to launch zc_install via my web browser: http://www.sitename.com/zc_install. I received an "Internal Server Error" with a 404 file not found error.
I used an info.php file to test public_html access using http://www.sitename.com/public_html/info.php to reach it. No problem. I placed the file in the zc_install directory and attempted to reach it from my web browser: http://www.sitename.com/zc_install/info.php and received the same Internal Server Error.
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Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, [email protected] and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.
More information about this error may be available in the server error log.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Apache Server at bmsshealth.com Port 80
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I've checked permissions and think they are fine. I downloaded the zen cart files from the remote server, set up a "new" store with those files on my server here and had no problem upgrading this install. Works fine.
I contacted the tech for the remote server and he cannot find any problem at their end. He suggested I move to a store that had a reasonable install path. I'm not ready to do that. I like Zen Cart.
Error log files have provided no clues. Any help would be very much appreciated!
Bev Cox
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
public_html should not be reachable by yoursite.com/public_html because it IS yoursite.com. At least it would be on a knowledgeable host. Perhaps the tech is not high tech.
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
Yikes! Did I really say that? Sorry. yoursite.com/info.php is what I should have written, and what actually worked. My error.
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BevCox
Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
This error is generally caused by a bad script file, or bad permissions.
Since this is a new install iit is reasonably safe to assume the scripts are fine (else everyone would have the same problem), so my money says you have a permissions problem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BevCox
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
This error can be ignored. It means that the server has been set up to use custom error pages, but these pages haven't been created yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BevCox
I've checked permissions and think they are fine.
This can be difficult to determine. Different servers require different permissions. Setting them either too low or too high can both produce this error. For most systems, folder permissions of 755 is usually the minimum needed. Setting them to 777 will also work in many cases, but as stated, some servers will reject this because they are too lax. File permissions are almost universally set to be 644.
Having said that, 'Internal Server' errors can also be caused by many other things, almost all of them outside of your control, so if you can't resolve the problem via the permissions you host is your only hope. Thier log files will show more about the error than the log files availalbe to you.
Cheers
Rod
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
It could be that the /zc_install/.htaccess file contains something that your host isn't configured to handle.
That will be evidenced with detailed explanations in the server's error logs and mod-security logs and other system logs.
More info: http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?...l-server-error
You can also confirm that by renaming /zc_install/.htaccess to htaccess_OFF so that it doesn't get treated as ".htaccess" anymore.
And if that's the case, then all the other .htaccess files in various subfolders will probably also not work with your host. And that's alarming because if you have to disable them then you're also disabling all the security protections contained therein. In that case you'll have to work with your hosting company to engage their expertise in establishing alternative methods of providing the same security protections. They're the experts in the way that they've configured the server you're on, so they're best equipped to assist.
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
Slight change of subject (for one of the zencart team to address)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DrByte
I knew that this FAQ existed, but when I searched for it I couldn't find it. The reason I had trouble was because I'd been entering my search terms into the search box at the top of the FAQ pages, and all I was seeing were results from the forums.
I have since discovered that to search the FAQ files *only* I needed to go to the advanced search and select the approriate tickbox.
I don't know if this can be 'fixed' or not, but it currently isn't very intuitive and it involves a couple of 'needless' keystrokes to find what is being sought.
Now that I'm aware of this I doubt that I'll be caught out again, but I'm sure others will. Perhaps we need a FAQ file on how to search the FAQ files
<big grin>
Anyway, this isn't complaint or even a bug report, just a change in the way things are handled between the old system and the recently updated one. I thought it worthy to mention just in case there is an 'easy' way to make the 'simple search' on the FAQ pages default to searching those pages only.
Cheers
Rod
Re: cannot launch zc_instal on remote server; identical config works on local server
Thanks Rod!!
You were right on with the folder permissions. I had already re-checked, but somehow missed a folder in images. Once changed, I was able to access zc_install...finally. I needed your nudge to re-check those permissions. Problem solved. Now on to getting install to recognize the database and I'll be in business.
With gratitude!!
Bev