Admin is blank on my localhost xampp ubuntu server

[mpederson]

When I put "localhost/webstore/admin/" in the URL box on a firefox browser I get a blank white page. No source code, nothing. No debug files in the cache. No errors in the lampp/logs/error_log file. (admin is not the real name)

I can get to the store front and login as a user and go all the way through to the checkout without a hitch, but no admin login screen.

This is a new install of xampp 1.8.2 to my local Ubuntu 13.XXX PC. I am using this as a test server.

I then copied the database (via export from website and import on local machine) from my working website. Got the database working.

Next, I copied my entire website (via FileZilla) to the /opt/lampp/htdocs directory (/opt/lampp/htdocs/webstore) made a backup copy of the files to another directory. I had to edit the includes/configure.php and admin/includes/configure.php files to work with the new enviorment. Changed the server name(www.xxxx.com to localhost), paths, user login. Pretty sure these are coorect, since I've done these exact changes 3 times before when doing other 'upgrades' to my "store". I also checked these files side by side using gedit.

Cleared the cache in the browser after each change.

I've tried turning off the admin/includes/local/skip_version_check.ini with no change.
I also tried adding the a configure.php file in the same directory ( as shown in http://www.zen-cart.com/content.php?124) to show errors on the browser screen, still nothing.

One thread said to rename the .htaccess file, but I don't have one.

I did have this setup working with xampp 1.7.XX, but ran into other problems and ended up removing all of it (rm -rf lampp).

To eliminate security/permissions causing problems I've tried opening up the file structure(chmod 777). I'll close it down after I figure out what's causing this problem.

I don't know what to try next.

[mpederson]

After some more testing I found this:

Most will probably recognize this code as a piece of the admin/index.php file.
<?php
/**
* @package admin
* @copyright Copyright 2003-2011 Zen Cart Development Team
* @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
* @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
* @version $Id: index.php 19537 2011-09-20 17:14:44Z drbyte $
*/

$version_check_index=true;
require('includes/application_top.php');

$languages = zen_get_languages();
//$languages="1,English,en,icon.gif,english";
$languages_array = array();
$languages_selected = DEFAULT_LANGUAGE;
print_r($languages);
for ($i = 0, $n = sizeof($languages); $i < $n; $i++) {
$languages_array[] = array('id' => $languages[$i]['code'],
'text' => $languages[$i]['name']);

if ($languages[$i]['directory'] == $_SESSION['language']) {
$languages_selected = $languages[$i]['code'];
}
echo "1";
}
echo "2"
?>

if I remove the ; at the end of 'echo "1"' line I get an error message basically saying that the ; is missing. But if I do the same thing on echo "2" nothing happens. I still end up with a blank page. I assume that means the code is stuck in the for loop.

I do not get any output from the print_r($languages); (on line 17) or the echo commands. The only affect has been the error message.

You might also note the line //$languages="1,English,en,icon.gif,english"; . I tried inputing the values directly into $languages and commenting out the zen_get-languages function, but there was no change. So I commented out the change and removed the comments from the line above it.

I have these questions;

Why is it not exiting the loop?
Why don't the echo or print_r commands give any output to my browser?

Short of reinstalling, what to try next?

[mpederson]

It is working.

using the 'echo' command and setting "flags" I followed the trail of files starting at admin/index.php and ending in admin/includes/functions/general.php.

when I added the command 'echo "line 12 includes/functionbs/general.php";' and saved the file my page appeared. I don't understand why. Perhaps by saving the file it reset some lost bit.

I am a bit dissapointed in this forum since there were no responses to my request for help.

on the other hand I did learn alot about how this software works.

[torvista]

People tend to respond when they see problem they recognise, or see the poster hasn't a clue what to do, or see something that the poster has missed.
That was not your case.
You did exactly the right things and you fixed it. Well done. These illogical problems are the worst and sometimes there is no option but to set up an IDE and get stuck into debugging line by line.
It seems time wasted, but this detailed investigation helps demystifies how all this works and in the long term means you can customise your shop very rapidly without waiting or paying for someone else to do it, which I think is why we are all here.