index.html/php

Having a huge problem. Store and all customisation was working fine for months. no changes made but suddenly started getting apache test page for linux error. Wanted to follow instructions as suggested in the welcome.conf file but using Plesk control panel so have no access to linux files. I contacted service provider for access so i could edit using ssh client but was informed by SP that they do not provide this access. They simply stated that the reason i am getting the error is because i do not have an index.html, index.htm or index.php file in the root of my /httpdocs folder. My problem is that i never had one in there when the site worked properly so why now. Secondly if i do require one what should the content of it be. I created one as a test and added some generic html content from my define_main_page.php file and all it does is display the raw html content. its not linked to a stylesheet so obviously no formatting but the actual store does not load at all. i dont care about formatting but how do i get my template to load.
I reverted back to the classic template, created a new template, searched the forums, renamed .htaccess files etc to no avail.
Is there a way to create an index file in /httpdocs root and link it to the rest of my template files? Is that the actual solution. Forgive my ignorance but i am very new to this and know very little about web dev.
My site address is https://www.poor-boys.co.za.
I have gone around in circles here and am fresh outta ideas so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Naz :(

"Aangename Kennis" Naz...

Can you access your httpdocs folder via FTP? Is zencart's index.php file in that folder?

Is your Zen Cart installed in the web root (/httpdocs/ in your case)? If not, where is it installed? If it is in the root, there should be an index.php as part of the Zen Cart installation.

How have you uploaded content or file edits? Do you have FTP access?

I can access httpdocs folder via the control panel. there does not seem to be any index.php in the root of that folder.

The question is, where is the rest of your Zen Cart? In the root or in a subfolder?

If it is in the root, and you have lost your index.php, you have a major problem and probably need to restore from a backup. Either you were hacked or your server had some kind of damage.

Zen cart is installed in the web root /httpdocs. however no index.php in /httpdocs root.
at the moment no FTP access but i can upload content via the control panel or copy/move files. would it help if i copy the default index.php into the root of /httpdocs. the file currently resides in location httpdocs / includes / languages / english /index.php

inherited the site. did not actually install myself. just did customization. unfortunately there are no working backups to restore from. :(
is there no way to re-create the index file

If I navigate to http://www.poor-boys.co.za/index.php, I see the site, which suggests that file is there somewhere.

Naz_newbie:

They simply stated that the reason i am getting the error is because i do not have an index.html, index.htm or index.php file in the root of my /httpdocs folder. My problem is that i never had one in there when the site worked properly

Sorry, but you are mistaken. Without an index.php file in your httpdocs folder (or more specifically, the root folder for your store) then zencart would not have worked for you.

This would imply your store was stored somewhere other than this folder and/or the root folder for your domain was set to something other than /httpdocs/

Naz_newbie:

Zen cart is installed in the web root /httpdocs. however no index.php in /httpdocs root.

I'm a little intrigued about about your wording in that statement, It seems to imply that you think 'web root /httpdocs' and '/httpdocs root' are actually different folders/locations? One of us is confused, or is it both of us?

Naz_newbie:

would it help if i copy the default index.php into the root of /httpdocs

Would it help if I said maybe, but probably not? My reasoning is that if the index.php is missing from where it should be, then what other files are also missing? It seems a little more logical to assume you could simply be looking in all the wrong places?

Naz_newbie:

the file currently resides in location httpdocs / includes / languages / english /index.php

That is a different file entirely.

What you should have is a folder/file structure that looks a lot like

/httpdocs/admin/
/httpdocs/cache/
/httpdocs/docs/
/httpdocs/download/
/httpdocs/editors/
/httpdocs/email/
/httpdocs/extras/
/httpdocs/images/
/httpdocs/includes/
/httpdocs/media/
/httpdocs/pub/
/httpdocs/index.php
/httpdocs/install.txt
/httpdocs/ipn_main_handler.php
/httpdocs/license.txt
/httpdocs/mcs_learn_more.html*
/httpdocs/nddbc.html
/httpdocs/page_not_found.php
/httpdocs/robots_example.txt
/httpdocs/vbv_learn_more.html

What files do you have listed in your /httpdocs/ folder?

Cheers
Rod

i manually created a file called index.php in the root of httpdocs to see if i could get past the apache error. in it copied some generic html. This is why you are seeing site content but it is definitely not the site. as you notice no sideboxes or banners etc

ok so now i am thinking as a last resort to pretty much start from scratch. damn. thinking i should reinstall zen cart. Only problem is there are hundreds of product descriptions, pictures, prices etc in the store catalog. is there a way of saving these files so i dont have to redo this stuff from scratch and then copying into the new install.

stevesh:

If I navigate to http://www.poor-boys.co.za/index.php, I see the site, which suggests that file is there somewhere.

Something is there for sure, but its not Zencart.

Actually it looks like the page is just grabbing stuff from photobucket? No proper HTML formatting either (no head/body/)

Cheers
Rod

Naz_newbie:

Only problem is there are hundreds of product descriptions, pictures, prices etc in the store catalog. is there a way of saving these files so i dont have to redo this stuff from scratch and then copying into the new install.

As long as you don't reinstall the database (or overwrite the image files) then doing a 'new install' will leave your existing data intact.

Treat the 'new install' as though it were an upgrade.

Cheers
Rod

Hi Rod

like i said i am a newbie so probably i am the one who is confused not you :) And hopefully i AM looking in all the wrong places.
in any case my /httpdocs file/directory structure looks almost exactly as you have listed above except that there is no httpdocs/index.php (except the one i created myself).
I also do not have the last 2 items from your list but i do have whole lot more directories than you listed. 32 files and dirs in total under /httpdocs
should i list the entire structure

Naz_newbie:

like i said i am a newbie so probably i am the one who is confused not you :)

Or not.... newbies often do a very good at confusing me <g>

Naz_newbie:

And hopefully i AM looking in all the wrong places.

From comments you made further on, I'm thinking you aren't going to be that lucky. :(

Naz_newbie:

in any case my /httpdocs file/directory structure looks almost exactly as you have listed above except that there is no httpdocs/index.php (except the one i created myself).
I also do not have the last 2 items from your list but i do have whole lot more directories than you listed. 32 files and dirs in total under /httpdocs
should i list the entire structure

OK, no need to list the entire structure, being the root folder it wouldn't be too unusual to have a lot more folders in there. If you are only running zencart then the others probably aren't being used for anything, and with a little more experience you'll come to learn which ones you aren't using and will be able to safely delete them.

Also, since I entered this thread I've only just noticed that you are apparently running Zencart V1.3.8, and that changes everything.

The thing is, Zencart V1.3.8 has several known vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited, and the odds are high that this is the ultimate cause of your problem.

You could try obtaining a copy of the original Zencart V1.3.8 distribution files and restoring the index.php from that, and if nothing else, it'll either work, or it will simply highlight other issues as a result of the potential hack, but ultimately you MUST update as soon as possible to the latest version.

Your comments about what files/folders are in the /httpdocs folder suggest to me that things are basically where they should be (other than the missing file), so I think it is a waste of time following this particular path any further. It was worth a shot though.

Simply replacing the missing file from the original .zip may or may not give a temporary fix, and personally I'd be inclined to try it just for grins (and to see what else is amiss). Nothing to lose (other than a little time), and it'll give you a little more exposure as to what to expect when things go right (or wrong), but again, it'll only be a temp fix, because if it is the result of a hack, they'll just be back within hours or days to destroy it all for you again..

In short.. you need to upgrade no matter what.

I wish I were able give better news.

Cheers
Rod

ps. 1am where I am. I'm outa here for the night... good luck..

well guess what. the site is up and working. simply copied the index.php from the install zip into /httpdocs exactly as you said and it is up as it was before. what i will do now is upgrade to the latest version but at least the darn thing is working. at least nothing else is amiss which makes my life much easier.
thanks for the help guys.