Zen Cart Logo
Forums / General Questions / Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Locked

Views: 4,885

Results 1 to 20 of 25
This thread is locked. New replies are disabled.
3 Jun 2006, 9:12 PM
#1
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Here's the scenario: customer logs in. When customer tries to perform a search, using the standard search field, they are instantly logged out (w/ no redirect to logout page). No problems searching by Music Genre or Record Label. I'm ready to go live w/ this site, so any help will be GREATLY appreciated!

3 Jun 2006, 11:05 PM
#2
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

How about an URL and a click for click example of how you are making this happen ... :smile:

4 Jun 2006, 8:01 AM
#3
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Hi Linda,

URL: ** REMOVED PER REQUEST **

Again, doing a standard search instantly logs the user out. There's no redirect to the log-out page, and all account links in the header disappear (My Account, Log Out, etc). Searching by other methods, browsing catalog pages, creating & editing account info, ordering, checking out, etc...all fine.

My Cache is also acting kinda squirrelly. It's especially bad in IE (more than usual), and even Firefox is dragging a bit... Maybe it's an SSL issue or Config. setting? Dunno...

Thanks for your time!

4 Jun 2006, 8:13 AM
#4
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Btw, I believe this also happened before I added the login sidebox mod, but I won't swear to it. ;-)

4 Jun 2006, 3:43 PM
#5
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Might want to check your /includes/configure.php

https://secure6.hostgator.com/~rocker//shop/index.php?main_page=login

Few too many slashes in there ...

Might also check the expiration date of your secure certificate ...

4 Jun 2006, 9:56 PM
#6
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Okay, I've got the config covered. Thank you.

Any insights into the search/logout issue? As things stand, I can't go live w/ this site until that's resolved - and I've run out of ideas... Simply put, I'm in a MAJOR bind....... Eternal gratitude for any help w/ this.

5 Jun 2006, 1:22 AM
#7
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

I created an account ...

Did a search ...

I am still logged in with stuff in the cart ...

And you still have an expired secure certificate btw ... :cool:

5 Jun 2006, 4:13 AM
#8
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Ajeh:

I created an account ...

Did a search ...

I am still logged in with stuff in the cart ...

And you still have an expired secure certificate btw ... :cool:

Cookies...... Damn you cookies!!! Heh. Since I had read [somewhere] that they weren't necessary, and I was able to use other search methods & place mock orders w/o them, I ASSumed they weren't the culprit. Any way around that???

Regardless, it's a bigtime relief to know that it isn't bad code or anything like that. You are officially my favorite person of the week!

As for my expired cert, that should've been updated by now. Sheesh.....

Thanks again for your time - much appreciated!!!

8 Jun 2006, 12:19 AM
#9
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Still having problems w/ this...

The only way for me to stayed logged-in, when doing a standard search, is to accept cookies; for both IE & Firefox. Is this normal? Linda, do you recall if you had them enabled when you were testing my site? It doesn't appear that anyone else is having this particular problem....

Since the consensus opinion about cookies is "don't force them" (which I wholeheartedly agree w/), and most people choose to block them anyway, what's the solution? Btw, I tried forcing them in admin, but that presented a brand-new set of problems.... Now it's back to false.

Anyway, if it were merely a question of requiring cookies for checkout, that would be fine; many online stores do this, so it's par for the course. But to require them for just searching around? What's that sound? Potential customers stampeding toward the exit...

Also, it seems that having cookies enabled BEFORE entering the site produces the most stable logins; as opposed to logging in DURING.

Medium & Medium High Privacy Settings can also yield mixed results, but ALL seems to work consistently. Although very-recent tests seem to dismiss that statement... Now, once I've logged in & completed a successful search, I can switch between the 3 previously mentioned settings w/o incident. BUT...if I turn off/block cookies, I'm instantly logged out again! I've also noticed that cookies (ssl or site) are no longer being stored in my temporary internet files dir in IE. They do show in Firefox, but the same problems persist, so I'm not giving that much credence (just another observation).

I REALLY need to get this store up & running. But, as things stand, there's no way I can do that...

I'm using v1.2.7 (w/ all of my customizing, v1.3x is quite a ways off...)

Admin->Configuration->Sessions:

Session Directory/home/rocker/public_html/shop/cache
Cookie Domain - True
Force Cookie Use - False
Check SSL Session ID - False
Check User Agent - False
Check IP Address - False
Prevent Spider Sessions - True
Recreate Session - False
IP to Host Conversion Status - true

Includes/configure.php:

// Define the webserver and path parameters
// Main webserver: eg, http://localhost - should not be empty for productive servers
define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.mydomain.com');
// Secure webserver: eg, https://localhost - should not be empty for productive servers
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://secure6.hostgator.com/~rocker');
// secure webserver for checkout procedure?
define('ENABLE_SSL', 'true');

// NOTE: be sure to leave the trailing '/' at the end of these lines if you make changes!
// * DIR_WS_* = Webserver directories (virtual/URL)
// these paths are relative to top of your webspace ... (ie: under the public_html or httpdocs folder)
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/shop/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/shop/');

define('DIR_WS_IMAGES', 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_INCLUDES', 'includes/');
define('DIR_WS_BOXES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'boxes/');
define('DIR_WS_FUNCTIONS', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'functions/');
define('DIR_WS_CLASSES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'classes/');
define('DIR_WS_MODULES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'modules/');
define('DIR_WS_LANGUAGES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'languages/');
define('DIR_WS_DOWNLOAD_PUBLIC', DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'pub/');
define('DIR_WS_BLOCKS', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'blocks/');
define('DIR_WS_TEMPLATES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'templates/');

define('DIR_WS_PHPBB', '/');

// * DIR_FS_* = Filesystem directories (local/physical)
//the following path is a COMPLETE path to your Zen Cart files. eg: /var/www/vhost/accountname/public_html/store/
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home/rocker/public_html/shop/');

define('DIR_FS_DOWNLOAD', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'download/');
define('DIR_FS_DOWNLOAD_PUBLIC', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'pub/');
define('DIR_WS_UPLOADS', DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'uploads/');
define('DIR_FS_UPLOADS', DIR_FS_CATALOG . DIR_WS_UPLOADS);
define('DIR_FS_EMAIL_TEMPLATES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'email/');

// define our database connection
define('DB_TYPE', 'mysql');
define('DB_PREFIX', '');
define('DB_SERVER', 'localhost'); // eg, localhost - should not be empty
define('DB_SERVER_USERNAME', 'xxxxxxx');
define('DB_SERVER_PASSWORD', 'xxxxxxx');
define('DB_DATABASE', 'xxxxxxx');
define('USE_PCONNECT', 'false'); // use persistent connections?
define('STORE_SESSIONS', 'db'); // leave empty '' for default handler or set to 'db'

// The next 2 "defines" are for SQL cache support.
// For SQL_CACHE_METHOD, you can select from: none, database, or file
// If you choose "file", then you need to set the DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE to a directory where your apache
// or webserver user has write privileges (chmod 666 or 777). We recommend using the "cache" folder inside the Zen Cart folder
// ie: /path/to/your/webspace/public_html/zen/cache -- leave no trailing slash
define('SQL_CACHE_METHOD', 'database');
define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/home/rocker/public_html/shop/cache');

?>

Cache permission: 777

Server:
Apache: 1.3.34 (Unix)
PHP version 4.4.2
MySQL version 4.1.19

Someone, PLEASE help me out! Once this is (hopefully) resolved, I'm going live.

Last question: when I move this site up to my root directory, and ditch the "/shop", would I make these configure.php changes:

define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/shop/');
to
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '//');

define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/shop/');
to
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '//');

define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/home/rocker/public_html/shop/cache');
to
define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/home/rocker/public_html//cache');???

Just want to avoid another post... ;-)

Many thanks!!!

8 Jun 2006, 12:30 AM
#10
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

I login to your site ...

I have things in my cart ...

I search ...

I get warning about your secure certificate ...

Other than that, I have yet to be logged out ...

Close all browser windows ... clear cache and delete cookies ...

Create a new account ...

Now does it work for you?

Logout and login to your other account ...

Does it break for you?

8 Jun 2006, 12:34 AM
#11
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Note: moving to the root ...

When original directory was /shop ...
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/shop/');

when going to the root, it becomes ...

define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/');

Just lose the /shop on each define ... (NOT BOTH SLASHES)

8 Jun 2006, 4:28 AM
#12
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Ajeh:

I login to your site ...

I have things in my cart ...

I search ...

I get warning about your secure certificate ...

Other than that, I have yet to be logged out ...

Close all browser windows ... clear cache and delete cookies ...

Create a new account ...

Now does it work for you?

Logout and login to your other account ...

Does it break for you?

I just created my 4th mock account (I always clear cache & cookies before testing) and the exact same thing happens. I'm doing what any would-be customer would do: simply create an account & start looking around. Then the usual Log Out & My Account links show up on the header, the custom login sidebox disappears... I'm officially logged-in; until I enter something in the search filed & click "Go!".... Then the header clears, the login sidebox reappears, I can't order unless I log back in... I'm now officially logged out.

It's the same for every account & every browser, no matter how I slice it.

Searching by Music Genre & Record Label, fine. Going to account pages, info pages, catalog pages, ordering-shipping-payment-checkout pages...all fine.

Again, this happens almost exclusively when cookies are disabled. If I accept cookies, all is well. But that defeats the whole purpose of not forcing customers to use them.

You also had cookies disabled?

I'm SO d@mn close. This is really bumming me out......

9 Jun 2006, 6:40 PM
#13
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Can anyone help me w/ this??? IMO, this is no small deal...

I had two friends & one steady customer try this, and they ALL got booted out of their accounts when performing a search.

Again, if someone enters my site w/ ALL cookies blocked (beforehand), logs into their account & then does a standard search, they are instantly logged out.

I don't know at what point cookies are submitted, but even if you allow them AFTER being booted, it may take a couple/few times to finally have them accepted (and therefore not get tossed from your account when searching). I can't expect ANY customer to deal w/ this...

Is this a bug, or is this a "normal" characteristic? Are cookies, in fact, necessary? Either way, this is NOT a good thing. Someone PLEASE help me figure this out!

In the meantime, the site-launch holding pattern painfully continues.....

9 Jun 2006, 10:56 PM
#14
wilt avatar

wilt

Oji-san

Join Date:
Jun 2003
Location:
Newcastle UK
Posts:
1,850
Plugin Contributions:
3

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

btw

I would disagree on the number of people blocking cookies.

However normally we do provide ways of using a seession id when cookies are not available, I can only assume that the search form is missing a hidden seesion id. Will see if that is the problem

9 Jun 2006, 11:49 PM
#15
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

I would love to help you ... but I cannot recreate the problem on your site ...

Let's try this ...

close all browsers

clear cache

clear cookies

open browser and go to phpMyAdmin

Empty the tables:
db_cache
sessions
whos_online

Now ... go to your site by typing in manually, no book mark, etc. and go to your site ...

Login with sidebox

Do you see the Login Sidebox disappear?

type in the search box: Barry

Click Go ...

Do you see the search results?

Do you see the Login box return?

9 Jun 2006, 11:54 PM
#16
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

wilt:

btw

I would disagree on the number of people blocking cookies.

However normally we do provide ways of using a seession id when cookies are not available, I can only assume that the search form is missing a hidden seesion id. Will see if that is the problem

Thank you, Wilt. Do you mean within the template itself? If this could at least be narrowed down to a specific issue, progress might be made. Any suggestions? I did compare both advanced search tpls, but couldn't find any discrepancies...

As for cookies, even if 50% of the people out there automatically accept them (none of which I know), that's still an extremely large number of potentially-frustrated customers. Or, for that matter, lost customers...

I'm pretty good w/ layouts, graphics, mods & tweaks, but my knowledge of php is very limited; I'm a seller, not a developer. ;-) But I'm willing to bet that someone (w/ far greater knowledge & experience than I) can pinpoint this problem.

Again, sincerest gratitude for anyone who can help me w/ this!

10 Jun 2006, 12:19 AM
#17
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

Ajeh:

I would love to help you ... but I cannot recreate the problem on your site ...

Let's try this ...

close all browsers

clear cache

clear cookies

open browser and go to phpMyAdmin

Empty the tables:
db_cache
sessions
whos_online

Now ... go to your site by typing in manually, no book mark, etc. and go to your site ...

Login with sidebox

Do you see the Login Sidebox disappear?

type in the search box: Barry

Click Go ...

Do you see the search results?

Do you see the Login box return?

I know you want to help & I really DO appreciate that.

So, even w/ cookies completely disabled (and any other firewall, zone alarm, etc, settings nice & tight) you encountered no log-out issues when searching? Tests from others do corroborate my claims, so I'm very confused by this. My brain hurts... ;-) Anyway, I'll try your suggestion a little later & report back.

Thanks!!!

10 Jun 2006, 1:06 AM
#18
ajeh avatar

ajeh

Oba-san

Join Date:
Sep 2003
Location:
Ohio
Posts:
62,757
Plugin Contributions:
1

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

If I set my browser to not allow cookies from your site ...

Then I can finally break on the search ...

But if I turn off the block of cookies from your site ... then I go back to working again ...

10 Jun 2006, 1:08 AM
#19
drbyte avatar

drbyte

Sensei

Join Date:
Jan 2004
Posts:
63,513
Plugin Contributions:
177

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

The hidden session-id field that wilt was talking about does get created properly both on your site, and in a fresh install of v1.3.x.

10 Jun 2006, 5:03 AM
#20
oldschoolrocker avatar

oldschoolrocker

New Zenner

Join Date:
Sep 2005
Posts:
63
Plugin Contributions:
0

Re: Please help!!! Logged out during search...

OK, I emptied the db_cache, sessions & whos_online tables, I manually entered my url, did a clean login, performed a search & was instantly logged out... I got my search results (as I always do), but the header links disappeared & the login sidebox reappeared (as they always do). Nothing's changed... Well, it was worth a try - and I'll try almost anything at this point.

As for upgrading to 1.3.x (I just KNEW someone would say that! :), there's no way I can do that anytime soon; I've customized the you-know-what out of this v1.2.6/1.2.7 shop, and it would take me weeks to get the new version in comparable order. I just need to have my current shop up & running before I dig into 1.3x.

Now, the obvious questions would be: 1) can the 1.3.x session-id field be replicated or adapted into my existing 1.2.7 site? And 2), if this is something related to 1.2.x, then why am I the only one to mentioned it? I doubt this would be totally overlooked.

With a large catalog like mine, proper search functions are critical. If a customer logs in, types in a band/artist name & instantly gets logged out, I have little hope of securing their business or support...

I'm VERY open to suggestions. It's too late to give up now! ;-)