server migration - can't access admin on new server (APC problem)

Hi, I am migrating our web site to a new server. We are on Zen Cart 1.3.8a patched for PHP5.3. (Yes upgrading is on the to do list, but first we need to finish the migration and have the site live)

Our new server is a Xen based VPS running Ubuntu 10.04. My local machine for testing is running Ubuntu 10.04 Desktop.

I have the website running locally without any worry, and can log into the admin panel.

But on the web server, despite the files being mirrored, when I try and access the admin panel, I get the login/password box and then if I enter a correct user/pass it just refreshes the screen. I can't get in.

I have tried inserting SQL through PHPmyAdmin to create a new user/pass combination, as recommended elsewhere on these forums. This did not work.

I tried disabling SSL as this is not installed on my local machine, no luck there.

I also tried disabling database caching (=off), no luck there either.

I made sure that all files are owned by the apache user www-data and set all file permissions to 775.

If anybody would be kind enough to offer some advice I would be grateful.

Check out this thread: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40953

Also you said you tried changing SSL to true? if you don't have SSL make sure yous et this back to false.

Hi, I have SSL installed on the server, I turned it off to see if that was the problem, it's not.

I have been reading all the other threads on this problem and nothing is working. For example, I changed STORE_SESSIONS from 'db' to '', nope no luck there although now it consistently says:

'There was a security error when trying to login.' - and yep, I have searched on that one too, but the posts about that don't make sense as otherwise I wouldn't be able to log in on my local copy which is running the same version of PHP, same version of MySQL, etc., the two are mirrored.

Everything is working properly on the store side, including logging in/out. It's just on the admin side.

Has the admin worked on the new server ever?

Have you compared your old admin/includes/configure.php http file to you new one? (obviously changes with passwords and users perhaps?)

Have you renamed your admin folder to something other than admin then edited your: newadminname/includes/configure.php

With 1.3.9h it wont load admin unless you change admin folder name.

to load the admin for me now I have to put in a the full address.
https://www.mywebname.com.au/myadminfolder/index.php

I think old version just needed: https://www.mywebname.com.au/myadminfolder/

Did you partially migrate the old site to the new server? I suggest no migration of anything until new cart working and it's admin.

I guess the areas you need to look are:

Is the configure file correct?
Have you renamed admin folder?
Is the admin folder ok? ie not corrupted?

I wouldn't be touching db or anything else. The error is likely to be simple.

Muzz:

Has the admin worked on the new server ever?
No. I am in the process of migrating. The old server is still live.
Muzz:

Have you compared your old admin/includes/configure.php http file to you new one? (obviously changes with passwords and users perhaps?)
All I have changed is to update the new database connection information and file paths. Triple checked.

Muzz:

Have you renamed your admin folder to something other than admin then edited your: newadminname/includes/configure.php

With 1.3.9h it wont load admin unless you change admin folder name.

to load the admin for me now I have to put in a the full address.
https://www.mywebname.com.au/myadminfolder/index.php

I think old version just needed: https://www.mywebname.com.au/myadminfolder/
I am on 1.3.8a. But to answer, yes, the admin folder has been renamed. (And before someone pipes in about upgrading, yes that is planned, but I need a live working site first. My new server has SVN which we want to use for making changes.

Muzz:

Did you partially migrate the old site to the new server? I suggest no migration of anything until new cart working and it's admin.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. I have copied my files across to the new server, imported the database, updated the configuration files, made a dns entry in my host control panel, set up a virtual host in apache, and adjusted /etc/hosts on my local machine so I can interact with the site as if it was live on the new server. I will not be updating the nameservers on the domain registry until everything is confirmed working. From my research I know that this is the recommended procedure for site migration.

Muzz:

I guess the areas you need to look are:
Is the configure file correct?
Have you renamed admin folder?
Is the admin folder ok? ie not corrupted?
[/QUOTE]
I don't think any of the above are the issue. I zipped the files on my working local copy before uploading the zip file and extracting. If the zip file had been damaged during transfer it would have given errors.
Muzz:

I wouldn't be touching db or anything else. The error is likely to be simple.
I'm not so sure about that? But perhaps?

Firstly, i'm not sure exactly what order you have upgraded.

I would start a fresh install.

Install new zen cart. THEN check admin. Do not overwrite anything until this works.

Don't link to the live database or upload it. Create a new one . Do not edit any file until above checked and working.

Then if you have cleared your cache and cookies AND try to access admin and it fails. It may be an issue with:

Server setup - Php version etc.. (Must be 5.2.3 or higher.)
When you installed Zen Cart you selected something you should have not.
ie SSL or edited file path.
.htaccess file coding in the admin folder.
corrupt files

I would suggest if you use an FTP client to upload files to use something like filezilla as it usually works well. Many FTP clients drop out and corrupt files.

Other users have this version working so it is not the cart.

I isolated the problem.

Alternative PHP Cache was preventing me from logging in to Admin.

Disabled, and now it works.

Now to find out if there is a way to enable it and still log in.

Glad to hear you can access it now.

As you have Alternative PHP Cache installed on your account this might be the reason for the issue.

Check out this post. The bottom comment might help?

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141644

Yeah, tried adjusting the cache directory, no luck, so I am moving to xCache which Dr Byte has confirmed works.

I've got it going no problems so far, just need to figure out how to tweak the right settings.