Complete fail from clean install - and I haven't a clue why?

[RoyIoW]

OK - here goes. I'm completely clueless as to what's gone wrong with this install and its driving me crazy.

Basics:
Completely new install of 1.5.7c as downloaded from the site
Host couldn't/wouldn't unzip the archive directly even thought cPanel claimed it could so unpacked on my local harddrive and then uploaded via FPT to htdocs as per instructions and then run through zc_install
Website is currently iowlasercraft.epizy.com hosted on the InfinityFree platform
Support for PHP 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 7.4 and MySQL 5.6
They use a Linux platform for their servers

What's happening:
After I uploaded the files, did the background tasks (set up the MySQL database as requested), ran zc_install. All went well, ticked where I was supposed to tick, entered the information and passwords as requested, it gave me the "we're done" page with the links to the storefront and admin areas. I have tried both links and they both return the same error message across the top of the screen:
WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again

So I did that. And CTRL+F5'd it for good measure. Nothing!

I've looked at the error logs (I'll post below here) and it seems that a table (sessions) hasn't been created in the database.

How do I fix this? If it's a "because it's a free hosting platform" thing - I would like to test drive configuring and making sure Zen will do what we want before I start throwing cash at paid hosting, etc.

HELP!! Thanks!

[08-Apr-2021 18:32:26 America/New_York] Request URI: /Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/, IP address: 185.17.165.252
#1  trigger_error() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php:170]
#2  queryFactory->show_error() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php:142]
#3  queryFactory->set_error() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php:269]
#4  queryFactory->Execute() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/functions/sessions.php:53]
#5  _sess_read()
#6  session_start() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/functions/sessions.php:117]
#7  zen_session_start() called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/includes/init_includes/init_sessions.php:49]
#8  require_once(/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/includes/init_includes/init_sessions.php) called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/autoload_func.php:37]
#9  require(/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/autoload_func.php) called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/includes/application_top.php:37]
#10 require(/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/includes/application_top.php) called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/home.php:9]
#11 require(/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/home.php) called at [/home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/Torch-ZUE-cRaft/index.php:11]
--> PHP Fatal error: 1146:Table 'epiz_27814996_Cartz.sessions' doesn't exist :: select value
            from sessions
            where sesskey = 'a521d5b658a20c27daa3e956b390af09'
            and expiry > '1617921146' ==> (as called by) /home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/functions/sessions.php on line 53 <== in /home/vol14_4/epizy.com/epiz_27814996/htdocs/Shop/includes/classes/db/mysql/query_factory.php on line 170.

[lat9]

That error message implies (to me, anyway) that for whatever reason your database doesn't have a sessions table. When you view your database using the webhost's phpMyAdmin you should have 109 tables created.

Does your site use a DB_PREFIX? That's set in the admin and storefront configure.php files (/admin/includes/configure.php and /includes/configure.php) and normally defaults to an empty string, e.g. define('DB_PREFIX', '');

[carlwhat]

don't go crazy! life is too short.

there should be an install log that tells you where you the install failed.

in addition, look here:

https://github.com/zencart/zencart/b...ql#L2007-L2013

there is a note with regards to the configuration on session IDs in php.

[torvista]

Regarding the database you created, look at the tables with phpyadmin, what is the default charset:

[RoyIoW]

Hi

Firstly - I've done a complete wipe and reinstall from the ground up in case I'd missed something obvious in the instructions so I know how new, shiny logs! Still the same problem though.....

I only have 102 tables in my database. Why wouldn't it be creating the other 7?? And no, sessions is definitely missing - I looked.

And as far as I can tell, yes the config files are set to DB_PREFIX

[RoyIoW]

Regarding the database you created, look at the tables with phpyadmin, what is the default charset:

Its says MyISAM latin1_swedish_ci

[carlwhat]

Hi

Firstly - I've done a complete wipe and reinstall from the ground up in case I'd missed something obvious in the instructions so I know how new, shiny logs! Still the same problem though.....

I only have 102 tables in my database. Why wouldn't it be creating the other 7?? And no, sessions is definitely missing - I looked.

And as far as I can tell, yes the config files are set to DB_PREFIX

its not creating the other 7 because it is failing when it creates the sessions table; at that point the script stops executing and the remaining tables (which look to be in alphabetical order) do not get created.

there should be a zc-INSTALL-xxx.log (or something like that) that will tell you the reason.

from within phpMyadmin, what happens when you click sql command and enter the following:

CREATE TABLE sessions (
  sesskey varchar(191) NOT NULL default '',
  expiry int(11) unsigned NOT NULL default 0,
  value mediumblob NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY  (sesskey)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;

also is the salemaker_sales table there?

[RoyIoW]

don't go crazy! life is too short.

there should be an install log that tells you where you the install failed.

in addition, look here:

https://github.com/zencart/zencart/b...ql#L2007-L2013

there is a note with regards to the configuration on session IDs in php.

AND I'M IN!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! That was driving me crazy.

I followed the link to the github repository you gave and the sessions create code. I then copy/pasted that section alone into the SQL feature of the MyPHPAdmin and ran it as a SQL Query. Got 2 success reports and then an interesting fail. Seems the install didn't like the ENGINE=InnoDB so has resorted back to MyISAM in the structure table.

I wonder why the table creation failed in the installer but was successful when I did it as a standalone task? Is that a bug that the developers need to look at or am I just special (i know - needs!).

Thanks again all

[carlwhat]

AND I'M IN!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! That was driving me crazy.

I wonder why the table creation failed in the installer but was successful when I did it as a standalone task? Is that a bug that the developers need to look at or am I just special (i know - needs!).

every server configuration is different. the dev team does their best to take into account most situations... but it is hard to take into account all situations and all server configs.

[RoyIoW]

its not creating the other 7 because it is failing when it creates the sessions table; at that point the script stops executing and the remaining tables (which look to be in alphabetical order) do not get created.

there should be a zc-INSTALL-xxx.log (or something like that) that will tell you the reason.

from within phpMyadmin, what happens when you click sql command and enter the following:

CREATE TABLE sessions (
  sesskey varchar(191) NOT NULL default '',
  expiry int(11) unsigned NOT NULL default 0,
  value mediumblob NOT NULL,
  PRIMARY KEY  (sesskey)
) ENGINE=InnoDB;

also is the salemaker_sales table there?

Thanks for your help - I've done a slightly cheeky check through myself and copy/pasted the contents of the mysql_zencart.sql file shown on GitHub and posted practically all 3400 lines into a MySQL query box and hit go!

With the sole exception of the InnoDB issue, everything else has come back green. I hit refresh on the link to the admin portal and it's asking me to login! Horray!!!! So with a little bit of luck, that's fixed my issue buts it's an interesting head scratcher as to why it all fell down during the zc_install phase but went straight through when run directly.

Thank you for your help - hopefully it should be plain sailing from here on out