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[scrambled egg]

Error message when uploading as Admin or as test user:

Destination directory /admu198/albums//admu198/userpics/ is not writable by the script !

File: /home/mm082648/public_html/admu198/db_input.php - Line: 331

I have read the upload docs and have done everything exactly as suggested - I changed the folder permissions via my hosting control panel.  But am still having the same problem.

Coppermine Install:  http://www.fotobuffs.com/admu198
Forum Install:  http://www.fotobuffs.com/forum (with redirect to www.fotobuffs.com)
Coppermine Version 1.4.10
SMF Forum Version 1.1.3
Test User:  Username and password =  test

I have read the upload docs and have done everything exactly as suggested - I changed the folder permissions in my hosting control panel.  But still having the same problem.

[Joachim Müller]

I changed the folder permissions via my hosting control panel.

Don't use that panel, but your FTP app. Don't just check, but apply permissions. Make sure that your changes propagate to all folders and files within the albums folder. If you still don't manage to make the albums sub-folders writable, ask your webhost for support.

[scrambled egg]

Well then I have a huge problem here.  Checking file manager in my control panel shows the folders as having the following warning:

no_FTP-uploads_into_this_folder! 0 k 0777

Secondly, the last time I asked my webhost (hostnine.com) for support with my existing installation of SMF/Gallery2, they screwed up the site and told me they could not fix the problem that they caused, so much so that I had to plead with the person who did my installation to fix the problem for me.

Of course I can move to another webhost, but I would have to start from scratch, creating all the categories and boards within the SMF forum, and doing all that config stuff etc. with Coppermine.  AND, in the slim event that I cannot make it work, I would have also lost my installation of Gallery2, leaving me with absolutely nothing, and back to square one where I have to ask for help from someone to install Coppermine for me and you replying to my post for me to do the installation myself.

Round, like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel...
 

[Joachim Müller]

Well then I have a huge problem here.  Checking file manager in my control panel shows the folders as having the following warning:

no_FTP-uploads_into_this_folder! 0 k 0777

As I suggested: don't use that panel. Use a real FTP app. This isn't actually a warning, but just a file that we created and added to the package. The file doesn't do anything - it just exists to explain that you're not suppossed to FTP-upload files into that folder. No need to be alarmed - we're talking about setting permissions, not about uploading (yet). Just ignore that file for now.

Secondly, the last time I asked my webhost (hostnine.com) for support with my existing installation of SMF/Gallery2, they screwed up the site and told me they could not fix the problem that they caused, so much so that I had to plead with the person who did my installation to fix the problem for me.

Sounds hard to believe for me - after all, the webhost's operators should know what they're doing. Maybe you asked them for something too generic, without explaining what you actually want them to do. Nevermind, forget about past issues, let's look into your current issues.
So here are the details: ask them to CHMOD the folder http://www.fotobuffs.com/admu198/albums/ and everything within it (both folders as well as files) to give the user the webserver runs under rwx permissions.
You don't have to be afraid that they could mess things up. Don't ask them to fix particular scripts, just ask them to CHMOD for you, or tell you what the correct CHMOD settings are for what you're up to. If you're afraid that they could break things, create a backup of what you currently have before asking them for support - this way, you could always go back in case they mess up. But as I suggested above: it sounds hard to believe that your webhost could possibly mess up something as simple as changing permissions for you. You're welcome to tell them to visit this thread as well.

Joachim

[scrambled egg]

My webhost finished with the CHMOD but it did not solve the problem.  Then I did it myself as well, via FTP, and I even did the CHMOD to 777 for the INCLUDE folder as well (as suggested on another website), but that also did not solve the problem.  So I am now stuck not knowing how to proceed. I have the guy that did my SMF/Gallery2 installation suggesting that I stay with Gallery2 (which I find difficult to use), but I prefer the Coppermine interface much more - both frontend and backend.  So should I now try to post under Paid Help to see if there is someone who can help me for a small fee and then just give up if my specific situation is beyond help?

[Joachim Müller]

Send me a PM that contains:
* a link to this thread
* a coppermine admin account (username and password)
* FTP settings for your site
and I'll see what I can do for you.

[Joachim Müller]

I had a look at your page, using the admin account you PMed me:
You shouldn't have edited "The album directory" and "The directory for user files" in coppermine's config. Changing those settings from the default values is not a bright idea if you have no idea what this actually does. If those folders don't exist, you will of course get error message that say that the folders aren't writable: you can't write files into a folder if the folder doesn't exist.

Setting	Default value	Your value
The album directory	albums/	/admu198/albums/
The directory for user files	userpics/	/admu198/userpics/

Setting your "funny" settings back to the defaults made the error message go away, but then I discovered that you have made some other serious configuration mistakes:

• In include/config.inc.php, you enabled "silly safe mode" although you don't have silly safe mode on your server. This is of course wrong (looking at PHPINFO would have told you so). I commented out that setting.
• Checking your versions I discovered that you're using cpg1.4.10, while the most recent version is cpg1.4.12. Why did you install an outdated version in the first place, especially when starting from scratch? Probnably the dreaded control panel of your webhost... Those auto-installers suck; never use them again. I updated your coppermine version to cpg1.4.12

One can say that (in an attempt to fix issues you had) you have over-modified your settings in several places. For the future, bear in mind: only change one setting at a time. If this doesn't have the desired impact, go back to default. Don't change several things at once if you have no idea what they're suppossed to be used for.

I'm aware that you tried your best setting up coppermine, and that you got pretty far. Only when problems turned up you tried to fix things on  your own (which is good and needs to be encouraged) - the fact that you even tried to fix your issue by using silly safe mode shows that you have done your homework and read some stuff up. So the most important error you made is not undoing the stuff you tried.

Anyway, now everything works as expected. You'll have to look into some things though: the category description on your page for one of the public categories reads

ReunionsThis category includes albums of photos taken during our reunions and get-togethers. Create your own albums within this category, and upload your photos to their respective albums.

This is of course not correct, as non-admin users can not create albums within public categories. You'll need to review your category/album concept. Please read this up in the docs and start a separate thread if you have issues with it.

I turned debug_mode off for you.

As this turned out to be more complicated than I initially thought, what I have done on your site falls into the category "stuff that I usually don't do when supporting". As you initially were ready to hire someone to have coppermine set up for you I guess you could live with a small compensation for me: I want you to read up the thread "We need your help" and pick one of the possible options listed there. If you have no idea which one to pick, please consider donating a few bucks to sourceforge.net or the FSF. Of course I don't want any compensation for me personally.

Additionally, you still have an open thread - resolve it!

Joachim

[scrambled egg]

Joachim,

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.  I will definitely do at least one or more of the things mentioned in your "we need your help" thread.  There is no question that I will compare it to Gallery2 from Menalto, which is one of the most difficult products I have ever used.  I will also do all you suggest.

Again, thank you.


PROBLEM SOLVED !!!!