Admin Page in text only view

Why did my admin page disapear or change from a friendly html view, to text and text links? I can't really give anyone access to SEE with I don't see, but this makes it hard for me to work inside the admin panel.

So... I backed up my /admin/includes/configure.php file, copied the entire 'admin' directory from a fresh download of the most current version (which is what I was running) and then copied my configure file back into /admin/includes and figured I was golden, but nope, no change.

Any ideas?

Mike

Sounds like your stylesheet is busted, blocked, or missing.
Try renaming the /admin/includes/.htaccess to htaccess.txt .... does that help? If so, you'll want another method for securing your admin area instead of the .htaccess settings.

DrByte:

Sounds like your stylesheet is busted, blocked, or missing.
Try renaming the /admin/includes/.htaccess to htaccess.txt .... does that help? If so, you'll want another method for securing your admin area instead of the .htaccess settings.

Yes.. that did the trick, however I changed it back until I can figure out what other method of securing the admin area is available? Linux server, apache webserver. Ideas?

Talk to your host and ask them why those settings are causing a total block even on .css files and not just .php files like they're set to. It's likely a restriction in the way they've configured what you're allowed to do with .htaccess files at "your" level (vs "theirs").

DrByte:

Talk to your host and ask them why those settings are causing a total block even on .css files and not just .php files like they're set to. It's likely a restriction in the way they've configured what you're allowed to do with .htaccess files at "your" level (vs "theirs").

Well.. the 'host' is me. Server is in my basement.

.htaccess history: I couldn't get the buttons to display graphics. I've posted a few times on this issue, and Vger said to change /includes/.htaccess to /includes/htaccess.txt, which I did. I followed that by deleting .htaccess. Voila'... I now have graphics on my buttons. I had worked on that for over a month, couldn't figure that one out.

So.. I'm worried about security, and I go back to the /includes directory and change htaccess.txt back to .htaccess (replacing the missing file) as I was testing how much of a hole I opened up. Once I did that, the button graphics disappeared again. I changed it back once again to htaccess.txt and deleted .htaccess. When I returned to my admin page, I only had text links.

So, I posted this thread. If I go to /admin/includes/ and rename .htaccess to htaccess.txt as you suggested, and delete .htaccess, I again have an html version of the text page. Reversing the process again, putting .htaccess back in place, and I'm back to text links on the admin page.

Now.. DrByte, I figure you are the best possible chance I have for a solution. Your DrByte name is in both htaccess files, dated 2006-02-09. Can you see a solution to this?

Two different .htaccess files, that limit the graphic on buttons, and the html on admin. What gives?

Mike

I'm no expert on how to configure the server's allowable directives, but it would seem that your httpd.conf settings are preventing these settings from working as intended:```
<Files *.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from localhost
</Files>

That collection of settings says "for all *.php files, deny access to everyone, unless it's the local server itself asking for them". 
Basically, that prevents outsiders from hacking around at files on your server without your knowledge. 
For some reason, it's grabbing more than just *.php ... and also denying access to your .css files too. 

It only happens this way in a few environments.  Windows IIS Hosting environments don't like .htaccess files at all, and different methods must be used to accomplish the same thing.  If you're having this problem in a linux/unix apache environment, then "something" in your httpd.conf or a config file linked by your httpd.conf is telling apache that those commands aren't allowed, or is telling it to interpret them differently than they are intended.  About 1-10% of linux/unix hosting arrangements have this problem.

Perhaps some searching on .htaccess and deny from all and <files *.php> over at webhostingtalk.com might help you configure your server more completely?

spitfireguy:

Your DrByte name is in both htaccess files, dated 2006-02-09.That's just cuz I was the last one to touch them while preparing for release of a new version...

Unfortunately, it gives me no claim to the brilliance contained therein. (Doesn't mean I didn't bust anything though ! )