phpwcms Support Forum

Hello guys,

I had version 1.9 working perfectly in a web site. Then I installed a shopping cart which required safe-mode to be OFF. So I called my hosting company (Media Temple) and they activated the Power Mode (a work around to the safe mode) since they can't turn the safe-mode off in a shared server, this would allow my shopping cart to work properly....however... now my phpWCMS gave me a Internal Server Error.

I decided to back up my database, delete all the CMS 1.9 files and do a clean installation with the newest version 1.2.6.

The upgrade and set up were smooth, all fine, but I still get a Internal Server Error when I call index.php or login.php.

Please help me solve it! I need it to work even in Power Mode!
Thanks!

Hello David,

all in all this means they have PHP running as cgi ...

Yummy, I#m very unshure ... Perhaps you have a directory named "PHPTEMP" or "PHPTMP" and this has to be chmod 777, caused by being used as storage for sessions............

Maybe, maybe not ....

Juergen

Hello DF,

Thanks for the reply. Yes I am aware that PHP is now running as CGI, but I still don't understand why my phpWCMS doesn't want to work anymore...

I tried looking for that directory you told me but it was nowhere to be seen, any ideas?

I think this Error comes from your htaccess...
Check your .htaccess and the rewrite rules.

I don't think is the .htaccess because there is none. I deleted it because i never needed it. If I need one, i'd like to know what content it should say.

Here's what my hosting company had to say about Power Mode:

Thank you for your request to turn on PHP "Power Mode" Here are some VERY IMPORTANT things to remember about turning on Power Mode:

- PHP will run as CGI which will result in slightly slower execution. This has the same effect as if you had used the .htaccess safe_mode workaround listed in the knowlegebase.

- Permissions. 777 permissions on files or folders is not needed and will not work under Power Mode. To make files executable and writable use 755 permissions instead.

- Modifying php environment values through .htaccess files will no longer work. Alternatively you'll have to edit the file /etc/php.ini to change values like upload_max_filesize and memory_limit.

More details can be found in our Knowledge Base article: http://kb.mediatemple.net/article.php?id=080

Maybe that'll help. Oh and the web site in question is http://www.willbethinc.com/index.php

P.S: I know very very little PHP guys, go easy on me!

When this -POWER MODE- change happened on the server, the scheme for using your .HTACCESS file was altered ~ANYWAY~ to prevent usage of certain PHP flag directives and implement other such "security measures".

Most likely, they already changed all -WORLD- writable folders/files inside your "/var/www/html" webspace to normal 755 permissions. Going forward, you would do as they say, setting -chmod- permissions to 755 whenever 777 is "called for" by scripts. The ownership properties of your folders/files -and- the context in which processes are run has also been changed, so your host should have used -chown- upon those that have already been uploaded under "nobody" (or "Apache") to ensure they are now owned by your "userid", as well.

You should probably ask your host if they would provide you with a copy of the "server-wide" PHP.INI so you can preserve a full context of -those- available settings in your "local" copy. You would now place this "local" copy of PHP.INI (with any necessary changes) into -all- directories where your PHP scripts will reside -and- have dependencies not covered by the settings from the original "server-wide" version. Most likely you would add things like (example only):

magic_quotes_gpc=OFF
register_globals=OFF
session.use_trans_sid=1
arg_separator.output = "&"

ETC...

BTW, you should delete the "/setup" folder on you installation or "at least" chmod the folder/files down to protect them, somewhat, until you're sure everything is installed and working.