Help needed - maybe "PHP API Mode = cgi-fcgi" error

Hello there children!

I tried moving from my windows/easyphp test server to a real live linux server. Problem follows:

Installation finishes without a glitch. But after that, I can only access the admin page. When I try the site root(catalog), I get nothing. Not a 404, not a 500, nothing.

Well, I exagarate a bit, because 1 out of 5 attempts I get this from IE:

**<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

And once in Firefox, I had a partial HTML file, which ended with:
<div id ="mainWrapper">

Now I'm after 4+ reinstalls, and running out of ideas. The nicest thing is, that for the first installation attempt (than I was thinking - the last...), it was just the opposite: admin failed to show, but the catalog was all right.

The server config is basically:
**
* Webserver = Apache
* HTTP Host = https://www.bestbrill.hu
* Path_Translated = /bestbrill.hu/website/www/zc_install/index.php
* Server Free Disk Space = 33.46 GB
* PHP O/S = Linux
* PHP API Mode = cgi-fcgi Click here for more info
* PHP Max Execution Time per page = 180
* Register Globals = ON Click here for more info
* MySQL Support = ON
* MySQL Version = 5.0.20a-Debian_2 Click here for more info
* PHP Version = 4.4.2-1+b1
* PHP Safe Mode = OFF
* PHP Sessions Support = ON
* PHP Session.AutoStart = OFF
* PHP session.use_trans_sid = OFF
* Current SQL Cache Folder = /bestbrill.hu/website/www/cache -->Writeable
* Suggested SQL Cache Folder = /bestbrill.hu/website/www/cache
* PHP magic_quotes_runtime setting = OFF
* PHP GD Support = ON
* GD Version = GD 2.0 or higher
* PHP ZLIB Compression Support = ON
* PHP OpenSSL Support = ON
* PHP cURL Support = ON
* PHP Upload Support = ON upload_max_filesize=8M; post_max_size=10M
* PHP Upload TMP dir = /tmp
* PHP XML Support = ON
* PHP FTP Support = ON**

And thare is something spooky with the .htaccess files too. If I leave them in there original position, they start throwing 404 errors. Especially, when I have SSL in use.
And I tried to use chmod 755, as suggested in the faq, but did not yet spoke with my provider about the:

"Suggested settings adjustments:

* Maximum simultaneous processes set to 1024 (when set in the low hundreds may get Error 500's consistently).
* Process timeout 10 seconds (any longer and the Error 500's cause some real havoc on the server). "

-'cause first I'd like to know, if my errors are connected to this.

Thank you for reading this far, and I'd like to assure you - I'm very eager to hear your advice! :)

fricy

Ps: please don't go and crack my site. There is nothing of intrest there :P

Well, two problems that I can see - although I can't provide an answer for them:

1. PHP is being run as a cgi, and lots of people have problems with that.
2. Debian OS - lots of people have problems with Debian too.
3. Maybe the combination of the two is just too much.

But you can try this:

1. Upload all of your catalog side folders/files again, and edit the configure.php file manually to make sure it is correct.
2. When you FTP the files use a reliable FTP programme like WS FTP or FileZilla.

Vger

Thanks for the fast reply!
I think the configure files are all right - I looked through them, and did not spot any error, and for uploads I tried Filezilla, Total Commander, and CoreFTP. So that one is covered.

Debian? U don't say! :-?

As for CGI - I too suspect, that to be the problem, but as I have no admin access to the apache configuration, I'd like some tips before I start harassing my provider to change their servers. I just got my domains set up... :)

f.

Running php as a cgi can mean more than one thing.

We use RedHat Enterprise Linux with the Ensim Pro control panel system which uses php as a 'jailed cgi' for security. But this does not affect how dynamic php programmes run or behave.

Some hosts (PowWeb is a prime example) reference the cgi-bin in the head of every file - and this causes major problems. I believe they use the Free BSD system.

Your hosts won't change the way they run php.

Vger

What makes me think is the fact, that admin works, but the catalog won't.
???

I don't know why, but it works now. The blank page was apperantly an issue, because my provider's php settings didn't show me the error messages. The problem may have been caused by bad ftp connection.
Anyways, thread can be closed.
Cheers,
fricy