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Subdirectory based blog doesn't install automatically (13 posts)

  1. commorancy
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Under SiteAdmin->Add Blog, after I enter the new blog URL, the title and and email, I'd like for Wordpress MU to create the new subdirectory and populate it with a working PHP blog setup. Unfortunately, it doesn't do this on my install. Is this a configuration setting somewhere or will I have to get in and hack the sources to make it set up a working subblog automatically?

    If I go out to the server and, through a shell, create the directory and copy a working blog set of PHP files into the newly created sub-blog directory, the blog begins working. But, this manual intervention is not exactly doable since we want to hand the blog creation process off to someone who's not technical enough to login and manually copy the necessary files.

    I'm sure I can hack up the PHP to make it do what I want, but I wanted to know if I was overlooking something before I start this process.

    Please let me know.

    Thanks.

  2. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    All blogs are virtual. They are served from the database, using Apache's mod_rewrite module.

    You'll never see the directory structure on disk.

  3. commorancy
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I don't believe this is fully true. Yes, the blog data is served from the database, but the underlying PHP scripts must be available somewhere in the path of Apache to allow for pulling the data from the database to serve as web page. So, whenever I create the 'Add Blog' blog, I get 'page not found' when I try to browse to the newly created blog site because the necessary PHP files do not exist (nor does the sub blog directory).

    I believe the underlying PHP files and the subdirectory physically need to be on disk in order for the web server to know how to serve the data from the database. As far as I know, there is no 'virtual' way to put PHP in the database and serve it directly from there. Thus, page not found after blog creation.

    The only other way may be to create virtual hosts inside Apache that utilize existing PHP files for the new site. And if this setup is supposed to be happening, it isn't. And yes, I have mod_rewrite enabled.

    --
    Brian W.

  4. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Seriously, one more time for the cheap seats...

    You'll never see the blog/path for the blog on disk. They are virtual.

    If your site has issues, then your site is mis-configured. Be it permissions, settings, extensions, whatever.

    MU loads some scripts, and puts the blog together on the fly. That's it.

    I'm sorry you don't want to believe that's the way it is. But that is the way it is.

    your-domain.tld/my-blog or my-blog.your-domain.tld (whichever method you've installed with) will never physically exist on that disk.

  5. andrea_r
    Moderator
    Posted 16 years ago #

    No, they do not need to be there. The original set of files in the download are the actual files that get served. Doesn't matter if you chose the subdirt or the subdomain - all the files in the install are shared between all the blogs.

    there has to be something else up.

    I'll note that there are plenty of people around in the forums who do have a subdir install that works, and does not have a copy of all the files in physical subdirectories.

  6. commorancy
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    The problem with these with both of your replies is that they're generally not helpful. Instead of explaining how it 'should' work, please explain how to set it up to make it work. Like, for example, what files I should look at to see if it's rewriting the configs properly. I already know that there may be an issue with the installation due to the behavior, but I need more specifics.

    Note that there were no errors during the installation of the software and I've also found little in the way of exact documentation on how this part is supposed to work. So, is there anyone in this forum who can actually tell me how to get this software working in a technical way (i.e. config files to check, installation logs, etc) rather than simply reiterating how it is supposed to work?

    Clearly, it is not working for me. I've already made that abundantly clear. So, any actually helpful technical answers besides andrea_r and lunabyte would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks.

    --
    Brian W.

  7. jackiedobson
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I'd like for Wordpress MU to create the new subdirectory and populate it with a working PHP blog setup.

    wpmu doesn't do that as it creates all of the blogs virtually via the mod_rewrite module of Apache. If you want to create a fresh wordpress (Please note that I say wordpress and not wpmu) install upon blog creation, that's something that should probably be discussed on the regular wordpress.org forums.

    If you want to create virtual blogs like wpmu does and allow the wpmu files to handle your install, best bet would be to start off by reading the readme file as well as the debugging page that the readme file links to. While you make mention of having issues with the software, you do not mention anything about checking the error logs which should be the first place to start along with specifics as to your server setup. Please help us help you since you are the only one in a position to give us any information.

    But to sum up, sounds more like you're trying to do a wordpress autoinstaller, not a blog farm which is what wpmu is for.

  8. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    I think we ought to start a vote for having Donncha put "READ THE README.TXT FILE" in huge, bold, red, italic, and underlined letters on the main install page.

    It seems too many people skip right over it. Especially the links to debugging information, what to provide, and that such information is expected here when someone has a problem.

    No error logs, server info, links, or anything on a lot of these posts show that the information is either being ignored, skipped, or not read at all. This is a big problem, as a lot of posts say something to the effect of, "It's broke, what do I do?" Which, does nobody any good.

  9. commorancy
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Then perhaps you should call it INSTALL.txt like nearly every other software distribution. But, I would have also assumed, and I guess that makes and ass out of YOU and ME, that the installer script would have clearly made reference to the README file as being part of the installation.

    Bad me for not reading readme. Bad you (programmers) for not writing the PHP installation process explaining to the users that they need to follow the README.txt prior to running the PHP installation.. or, in fact, that the PHP installation checked for these necessary Apache setups prior to installation.

    Still a bug.

    And Lunabyte, tell me exactly how your first reply to my question told me in any way to read the README.txt file?

    --
    Brian W.

  10. lunabyte
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    No, this is not a bug.

    You have incorrectly set-up your site, by failing to read and understand the readme file that the developers of this product have graciously placed there for a reason.

    Readme, readme.txt, readme.html (note, all are readme with an extension of the developers choice) is a very common practice with software. Your shortcomings are not the problem or fault of the gracious volunteers here.

    Read your first post. My answer, Andea's answer, as well as Jackie's are all relevant. You may not like the answer, but it's true.

    You are all off on this "there aren't any files" montage, which is not correct. So, it was explained to you, which obviously fell on deaf ears.

    At no time have you provided any relevant information so that someone can help you. It's like calling a mechanic and saying, "My car is broke, what's wrong with it?" Then of course getting all bent out of shape when they give you an answer you don't want to hear.

    Unfortunately, the folks who could help you have probably been turned off by your replies. This may sound harsh to you, and I may be with this, but hey, at least I'm honest.

    So, yeah... bad for you. No, not bad for me, as I'm not the developer responsible for MU. I know it well enough, but like many of the other folks here, I'm one of the thankless volunteers that attempt to help people, through donating my personal time.

  11. andrea_r
    Moderator
    Posted 16 years ago #

    "The only other way may be to create virtual hosts inside Apache that utilize existing PHP files for the new site. And if this setup is supposed to be happening, it isn't. And yes, I have mod_rewrite enabled."

    See, thi sdimplies that you have, or think you have, everything setup correctly. I believe in the trac ticket you said you did. Yet...

    "Bad me for not reading readme."

    Curious, that.

    "the installer script would have clearly made reference to the README file as being part of the installation."

    It does. Read line 203.

    "<p>

    • Access to your server to change directory permissions. This can be done through ssh or ftp for example.
    • A valid email where your password and administrative emails will be sent.
    • An empty MySQL database.Tables are prefixed with wp_ which may conflict with an existing WordPress install.
    • Wildcard dns records if you're going to use the virtual host functionality. Check the README for further details.
    <p>"

    As luna stated, we're not devs. We volunteer to help people willing to learn. I'll give you a big huge tip: Apache is *not* configured correctly.

  12. raz0r
    Member
    Posted 16 years ago #

    commorancy,

    Don't know if you found your answer. But I was having the same issue at first. Nothing worked, period. Read the README, etc, etc. Here's how I got it to work.

    Dropped the schema from mysql and then created it again (make sure it was empty that way). Made sure my mysql user had rights.

    chowned my dir (woj) to my webserver user (wwwrun) and chmod 777 wp-content

    Ran install and that portion went fine (as usual). Try to loginto ap-admin. This is where is would fall apart. I would get 403, or I could login and create new blogs, but would get a 404 when trying to access them.

    Sound like your problem?

    Here's how I fixed it. I had to add Options Indexes FollowSymLinks to my VirtualHost in the Directory section.

    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride FileInfo Options
    Allow from all

    From my experience, the .htaccess file was the culprit. Specifically the RewriteEngine On portion. It would either get turned off (or ignored) even though my default-server.conf says it's on, which would cause the 404 errors. When it worked, I would get the 403 without the Options Indexes FollowSymLinks in the VirtualHost config. Now it's all working for me, but took me two days and countless rebuilds to figure it out. And log files didn't help.

    Hope this helps you.

  13. Anonymous
    Unregistered
    Posted 16 years ago #

    Hi Guys!

    Thanks for being here.

    I have a problem like the one above and I would like to ask a tiny question before wasting your time further, please.

    I already have a (different) content management system running my main site, so I have installed wordpressmu in a sub-directory. Is there a way that I can get it to work without installing it in the main directory?

    I believe that mod_rewrite is working - at least, it seems to be rewriting URL's on another site on my server.

    One complicating factor, is that I can't supply wild-card sub-domains to wordpressmu. The reason for this, is that my server is "managed" by the hosting company and I don't have root access. (There is no question of them fixing this problem for me, as they deal only with "standard" server settings.)

    However, I can MANUALLY set up sub-domains which point to this previously aforementioned sub-directory and this is perfectly acceptable to me - should I be able to get this installation to work.

    I still can't get it to. :(

    Help! I'm pretty sure that there are questions that you will still need to ask, so please be patient with my ineptitude!

    Best regards,
    Sonny
    x

About this Topic

  • Started 16 years ago by commorancy
  • Latest reply from sonnymanou