PHPBB Help

Printable View

December 6th, 2004, 06:42 AM
Aden

PHPBB Help

I'm going through an on going struggle here trying to get a nice website for my freinds and I. If you have read the last thread I started you will find that I had great difficulty getting Apache server to work.
This all steams from me reading h3r3tic's tutorial on phpbb.
So i've finally gotten all the way through the tutorial and the forum has been set up.

Here's my problem though. It's slow. Sometimes pages won't load. Sometimes it's only half the page. I've even seen it go to some type of text script page once.
So i've got some bugs.

I'm running cable internet.
My computer has a AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 2.1Ghz Processor 1 1/2 Gigs of Ram.
I have Linksys Wireless G Router Broadband.
MY Local Area COnnections Status tells me my speed is 100.0Mbps

I have three other compouter on my network but even after disabling them the problem was still the same.

So how can i get this site to work better. I mean when i post something and some one replies i'll go to that page and only half of it will load so i won't see the reply.

P.S. how do i get that APache test screen the one that says, "Seeing this instead of the website you expected?" off. I figured it's just a file where i can program with HTML. Well i think.
December 6th, 2004, 06:55 AM
Striek

Simply entering the IP address of the webserver should produce the apache test page until it is replaced with something else.

When compiling apache and PHP, make sure that apache was compiled with --enable-so (to allow loadable module support) and also make sure that PHP was compiled with support for whatever database backend you're using, and --with-apache (I think that's the option), to tell it that it will be used as a module for apache and not as a CGI script. PHP use as CGI scripts (which you will be doing if PHP was not compiled as an apache module and/or apache was not compiled with loadable module support) is not tested and is unsupported. You might not be able to get it to work that way. Both developers recommend using PHP as an apache mod.

Sometimes pages only half load because only half the page is written in php, or because some of it can be interpreted as HTML.

Check the permissions too... make sure that whatever user PHP is running as can access the apache DocumentRoot (you can find that out in the httpd.conf file) and all of its subdirectories. If PHP is started by apache, that shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure that whatever user apache started as can access all of its content.

If you're using binary distributions, or missed those configuration options, that might be the problem.

And my big snafu today was wasting 2 hours troubleshooting an apache/PHP/ACID installation when I forgot to uninstall the old one... I installed the new one in a new location and totally missed the fact that I was running the 1.3 version and not 2.0.5. Make sure you don't do that too.

I don't have time to check h3r3ic's tutorial right now (I will though... I will be installing apache w/ PHP on an IDS tomorrow), so I apologize if he already covered this.
December 6th, 2004, 07:03 AM
Aden

Quote:

Simply entering the IP address of the webserver should produce the apache test page until it is replaced with something else.

Where do i replace that?

Some of this other stuff kinda went over my head Sriek. I'm sorry I'm new at this.

Quote:

When compiling apache and PHP, make sure that apache was compiled with --enable-so

Where do i do that or figure out if i did that?
December 6th, 2004, 07:12 AM
Striek

Quote:

Where do i replace that?

Apache usually reads its web material from /var/www/htdocs. In there you should find a file called index.html. It can be replaced and then a new page should come up when the webserver is accesed.

Check out www.snort.org/docs for some good info on configuring, compiling, and installing apache and PHP. Most of the stuff there is specific to building a webserver for an IDS box with snort and graphing capabilities and snort database frontends. However, there are a few there you can use and just not do it all; stop after you get just the PHP, apache, and MySQL stuff done.

First time I installed PHP I was worse off than you are now. Absolutely no idea what I was doing. I followed a couple of the docs there step-by-step down to the letter and they walked me through it.

Quote:

Where do i do that or figure out if i did that?

When configuring PHP , give the configure script the --apxs2=<apache root directory/bin> option. It will try to configure itself as a module. If apache does not support this, the configure script will puke and give you and error message telling you.

My best advice: start from scrath at this point. Not knowing what you're doing (no offence intended), you'll probably create as many problems as you solve while you're troubleshooting it.
December 6th, 2004, 07:23 AM
Aden

Quote:

My best advice: start from scrath at this point. Not knowing what you're doing (no offence intended), you'll probably create as many problems as you solve while you're troubleshooting it.

When you say that do you mean starting back installing PHPBB? How would go about delating all of this?
December 6th, 2004, 08:14 AM
Striek

You don't specifiaclly need too. Just install a new one in a new location with --prefix=/opt/httpd or something like that in the configuration script for apache, or --with-prefix=/opt/httpd/php for PHP. Then make sure the right binaries get run when you tell them to, not the old ones.

If what you wave now is installed with RPM, the command is rpm "-(r or e) (I think) --allmatches --<package name here>", eith slack its "removepkg httpd" and "removepkg apache" (that's the one I forgot).

If your distro has a package manager and the stuff was installed with them, that is the best way to remove it. You just need to find the menu option or command that does it.

If you don't have it (the source code for whataver was installed) now, they probably weren't compiled from ysource on your system. If they were installed from the source code, then you're stuck with installing to a new location, as outlined above, and checking that the new one gets run and not the old one, unless you want to personally delete all the files these things placed everywhere. Some source directory trees may have an "uninstall" script in them tool use it with "make uninstall" in the istallation directory (the one you unpacked the source to).

Basicaslly, uninstall what you can (I gave you a few ways)_, and then reinstall, with the needed compiler flags, the rest, to a new location, and make sure the two don't conflict with each other

I would go into more detail on how to deal with the "original" copy you will have lyinmg around somewhere, but those little ablue pills are kicking in right about now so I'd better start getting ready for bed, seeing as how I've gotta be upat 6 oer 7 tomorrow. My typing speed is half ehat it was 30 minutes ago and my typo rate has quadrupled. The next step is loss of balance, then loss of spavial orientation, and then my legs start to feel week. And that bloody taste. Everything tastes like some king of bitter plastic; the drug stimulates the bitter taste buds more than the rest. I guess it's time for bed thenm... night all...
December 6th, 2004, 04:19 PM
Aden

Wow wish i had some blue pills. I might be able to understand this all i little bit better.

Quote:

Just install a new one in a new location with --prefix=/opt/httpd

SO do i add that --prefix=/opt/httpd to the APache httpd file?

Perhaps some one would just like to visit the site and check it out see if seeing helps explain.

My PHPBB page

I'm sorry Striek i'm tryin to keep up but your termonolgy and advice is still going over my head.
December 6th, 2004, 05:36 PM
cacosapo

Re: PHPBB Help

Quote:

My computer has a AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 2.1Ghz Processor 1 1/2 Gigs of Ram.

Man you have a huge computer. doesnt like to be that. Im running phpnuke on virtual pc with 256 MB ram on a 2.6 atlhon and it runs ok.

ive tried to connect thru adress you gave us and i agree - its a crap.

question (easy ones :) ):

1) when you access on LAN, it is the same response time?

2) what O.S.?

3) do your cable provider restrict the number of concurrent sessions?

4) are you doing any kind of nat? if yes, post config here
December 6th, 2004, 06:13 PM
Striek

It looks fine to me. The PHP and database backend are working properly if that page can display properly, so you don't need to worry about reconfiguring all that crap. I though the problem was a lot worse.

Next time you get an error, take a screenshot and post it so we have a better idea of what the *bad* stuff looks like and not just what it looks like when it does work.
December 6th, 2004, 07:49 PM
Aden

cacosapo,

Quote:

1) when you access on LAN, it is the same response time?

I'm kinda confused on the wording here. When i surf any other web pages respone time is great. Then when i go to my forum it's all sluggish. My friends who access the site also run into the same problems. I think thats what you mean. Is there something certain where i can look up my response time?

Quote:

What OS?

Windows xp Pro

Quote:

3) do your cable provider restrict the number of concurrent sessions?

My provider is Charter communications. I however do not pay that bill and have not seen any of the paperwork on it. Is there a way i can test that? Or a way i can configure my router around it?

Quote:

4) are you doing any kind of nat? if yes, post config here

Nope Well at least none that i know of. I haven't configured any.

Striek,
Did all the pages fully load without refresh a half dozen times? As far as errors i've never really gotten any.
Take for instince though that first board where i posted something and my friend responded. If you try to look at the page it looks like i was the only one that responded becuase the second half of the page where my friends reply is doesn't load.

Other Questions.
I've asked about replaceing that APache test screen before and still don't know what to replace to make that go away. In that htdocs folder and theres a bunch of dofferent index.html files. SOme in different languages and such. So i how would i go about replacing that with say like something made with M$ Frontpage?

Is there better ways to make up a forum? I followed h3r3tic's forum using APache, MySQL database, and PHPBB. Is there better ways to do this?
December 6th, 2004, 11:01 PM
Aden

and the plot thickens.

This really isn't an error but sometimes when i acces my site all it get is the HTML.

Quote:

navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf('mozilla') != -1 && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('5.') == -1 && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('6.') == -1 )
document.write(' ');
else
document.write('</td><td></td><td valign="top" nowrap="nowrap"><div style="position:relative"><div style="position:absolute"></div><div style="position:absolute;left:3px;top:-1px"></div></div>');

//--></script><noscript></noscript></td>
</tr>
</table></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="spaceRow" colspan="2" height="1"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="150" align="left" valign="top" class="row2"><span class="name"><a name="4"></a><b>drumorr2</b></span><br /><span class="postdetails"><br /><br /><br />Joined: 05 Dec 2004<br />Posts: 1<br />Location: SIUE</span><br /></td>
<td class="row2" width="100%" height="28" valign="top"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td width="100%"><a href="viewtopic.php?p=4#4"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/icon_minipost.gif" width="12" height="9" alt="Post" title="Post" border="0" /></a><span class="postdetails">Posted: 05 Dec 2004 06:49 pm<span class="gen"></span> Post subject: wow</span></td>
<td valign="top" nowrap="nowrap"><a href="posting.php?mode=quote&p=4"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_quote.gif" alt="Reply with quote" title="Reply with quote" border="0" /></a> <a href="posting.php?mode=editpost&p=4"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_edit.gif" alt="Edit/Delete this post" title="Edit/Delete this post" border="0" /></a> <a href="posting.php?mode=delete&p=4&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/icon_delete.gif" alt="Delete this post" title="Delete this post" border="0" /></a> <a href="modcp.php?mode=ip&p=4&t=3&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_ip.gif" alt="View IP address of poster" title="View IP address of poster" border="0" /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><hr /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><span class="postbody">i am very impressed with the site.ther are still a few bug but they will get worked out<br />_________________<br />Thomas Radley</span><span class="gensmall"></span></td>
</tr>
</table></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="row2" width="150" align="left" valign="middle"><span class="nav"><a href="#top" class="nav">Back to top</a></span></td>
<td class="row2" width="100%" height="28" valign="bottom" nowrap="nowrap"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" height="18" width="18">
<tr>
<td valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap"><a href="profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_profile.gif" alt="View user's profile" title="View user's profile" border="0" /></a> <a href="privmsg.php?mode=post&u=4"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_pm.gif" alt="Send private message" title="Send private message" border="0" /><Ð\ˆ<a href="mailto:[email protected]"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/icon_email.gif" alt="Send e-mail" title="Send e-mail" border="0" /></a> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript></noscript></td>
</tr>
</table></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="spaceRow" colspan="2" height="1"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/spacer.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" /></td>
</tr>
<tr align="center">
<td class="catBottom" colspan="2" height="28"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tr><form method="post" action="viewtopic.php?t=3&start=0">
<td align="center"><span class="gensmall">Display posts from previous: <select name="postdays"><option value="0" selected="selected">All Posts</option><option value="1">1 Day</option><option value="7">7 Days</option><option value="14">2 Weeks</option><option value="30">1 Month</option><option value="90">3 Months</option><option value="180">6 Months</option><option value="364">1 Year</option></select><select name="postorder"><option value="asc" selected="selected">Oldest First</option><option value="desc">Newest First</option></select><input type="submit" value="Go" class="liteoption" name="submit" /></span></td>
</form></tr>
</table></td>
</tr>
</table>

<table width="100%" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="middle" nowrap="nowrap"><span class="nav"><a href="posting.php?mode=newtopic&f=1"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/post.gif" border="0" alt="Post new topic" align="middle" /></a><a href="posting.php?mode=reply&t=3"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/lang_english/reply.gif" border="0" alt="Reply to topic" align="middle" /></a></span></td>
<td align="left" valign="middle" width="100%"><span class="nav"><a href="index.php" class="nav">Slimmovies.com Forum Index</a>
-> <a href="viewforum.php?f=1" class="nav">Slim Productions</a></span></td>
<td align="right" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap"><span class="gensmall">All times are GMT</span><br /><span class="nav"></span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="3"><span class="nav">Page <b>1</b> of <b>1</b></span></td>
</tr>
</table>

<table width="100%" cellspacing="2" border="0" align="center">
<tr>
<td width="40%" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap" align="left"><span class="gensmall"><a href="viewtopic.php?t=3&watch=topic&start=0&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828">Watch this topic for replies</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="modcp.php?t=3&mode=delete&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/topic_delete.gif" alt="Delete this topic" title="Delete this topic" border="0" /></a><a href="modcp.php?t=3&mode=move&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/topic_move.gif" alt="Move this topic" title="Move this topic" border="0" /></a><a href="modcp.php?t=3&mode=lock&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/topic_lock.gif" alt="Lock this topic" title="Lock this topic" border="0" /></a><a href="modcp.php?t=3&mode=split&sid=a782b984a35ee57ce65dc557f5c94828"><img src="templates/subBlack/images/topic_split.gif" alt="Split this topic" title="Split this topic" border="0" /></a></td>
<td align="right" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">
<form method="get" name="jumpbox" action="viewforum.php" onSubmit="if(document.jumpbox.f.value == -1){return false;}"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap"><span class="gensmall">Jump to:<sele

I have also notice that i can not access the page useing internet explorer.
My default browser is Firefox but i still have IE and when i try to use that i get the Page cannot be displayed page.

Edit: it's now several hours later. I took some of the earlier advice and completely reinstalled.
I only see a slight improvement it's still doesn't load constantly.
I can get it to load in IE so thats a plus.
December 7th, 2004, 05:17 AM
Striek

I just had a revelation...

Maybe it's a syntax error of some kind in the PHP code, so the PHP script sends some browsers the right code and others the wrong code?

Or it may depend on specifically which content is sent, depending on the user?

The fact that near the top I can see what looks like the end of an HTML comment block would suggest this.

Hmmm... I'm getting an "index of /" page now, in Mozilla 1.7. Opening the "index.php" file gives me nothing but "Powered by phpBB 2.0.11 © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group" in Mozilla, but I see the page fine in Konqueror (still gotta click on index.php though). Obviously then they're both getting different HTML code, so it probably isn't dependent on the user. Maybe the headers the browser sends telling the webserver its capabilities change the code that is sent and breaks things.

You need a statement in the httpd.conf file (probably in /etc) to tell it which file to load by default when a directory is accessed without a filename. I can't remember what that is right now.

I might not be so useful at this hour, since I'm currently in the middle of an apache / PHP / MySQL install at school right now and can use that as a reference, but I'm back at home now.

Was at school from 7:30 this morning 'till 10:00 this evening. But I got my server working, everything but SSL support. I'll have a better idea when I can look at it again tomorrow.

So my best idea right now is a simple syntax error in a PHP script somewhere.

<edit>
This reminds me of something a professor once told me. "Computers always do exactly what you tell them to. Just not usually what you expect them to."
</edit>

<edit2>
Scratch the Konqueror hope. That doesn't give me anything now either. I swear i *did* see it though.

Maybe your computer has a personal grudge against you.
</edit2>
December 7th, 2004, 05:37 AM
Aden

There is an oddity about my computer that i havn't metion but i don't think this would mattter at all.
I have 6 moniters hook up to it. Three video cards each with a double out. They each act indenpendent and my mouse scrolls across all of them none of them duplicate the other. SO maybe this is why it holds a grudge?
Edit:
Picture
The middle six are the comp i'm talking about the other four are hooked to other computers and my laptop is in the bottom left.
December 7th, 2004, 05:42 AM
Striek

I'd be mad too if I had to explain everything six times in six different ways...

I WANT A PICTURE! I WANT A PICTURE!

Get you post a picture with like, one wallpaper across all six desktops or some other way to show they're all connected to the same box? THat's gotta be one of the weirdest and most uberleet systems I've ever heard of.

P.S.
Did I mention I want a picture of your system?
December 7th, 2004, 05:58 AM
Aden

I edited one before with a picture and here is another one.
Another picture

So um that wouldn't cause my website to mess up would it?
December 7th, 2004, 06:16 AM
;TT

Striek, all your initial advice deals with packages and Linux based solutions... hes trying to do this one on Windows XP.

Aden, what version of PHP are you trying this with?
December 7th, 2004, 06:21 AM
Aden

Quote:

Aden, what version of PHP are you trying this with?

phpBB 2.0.11

then there's apache 2.0.52, mysql 4.0, the php support for apache is PHP 4.3.10RC1

Edit: I know this might be a lot to ask but could someone briefly look at h3r3tic's tutorial and see if somethings been missed? tut
December 7th, 2004, 06:32 AM
;TT

Code:

LoadModule php4_module "c:\php\sapi\php4apache2.dll" AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

Add those two lines to a clean install of Apache (httpd.conf), change the path of the first line to fit wherever you installed PHP.

<edit> THIS IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE SAVED THE PHP.INI-RECOMMENDED FILE INTO YOUR C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\ FOLDER AS PHP.INI AND COPIED OVER THE CORRECT FILE WHICH IN YOUR CASE IS PHP4TS.DLL</edit>

Next, delete all the phpbb stuff you have in your htdocs folder and and re-download it and paste into there.

Then go to www.whatever.com/install/install.php (where www.whatever.com is your website's URL) and you should see an install page. If you see the actual page, you know you have PHP working. So fill out the forms of the install.php page correctly and hit install. (See attached picture for reference.)

Next, go back to your httpd.conf and find the line:

Code:

DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var index.htm

and add index.php to it so it looks like:

Code:

DirectoryIndex index.html index.html.var index.htm index.php

This will load any page in your htdocs folder with the name index.php and make life simpler.
December 7th, 2004, 07:04 AM
Aden

Alright fresh install i have those files in c:\windows\system32\
I'm up to the point where i'm going to the whatever.com
well i tried that link and then thought better and put in my own address. that didn't work.
So i just used my IPwith the /installs and that brought up a a page all in html.
December 7th, 2004, 07:08 AM
;TT

Restart Apache.
December 7th, 2004, 07:46 AM
Aden

Well ;TT i really had my hopes up. Unfortunatly it's still pretty much the same.

http://www.slimmovies.com/

Edit:I saw in your picture you put your script path to /phpbb2/ instead of just / like i did. should this matter?
ALso you use an actual domain name. In h3r3tic's tut it left just the IP there.
December 7th, 2004, 01:12 PM
cacosapo

Ive tried to run those software (in my case php-buke) on windows but ive got so many errors that i gave up. As I told you, now im running it under linux on a virtual machine (VP2004). The perfomance of nuke under linux under VP 2004 its so better than under window xp natively.
Most of tuts to install those things are "linux-only" and the installation under linux was pretty easy.
However, its more costly (no warez here!)
December 7th, 2004, 02:02 PM
Aden

I have a little P2 box that i could get Red Hat or something on. Would that do better?

I'd hate to lose performance like that though too.

ALthough i would love to install over my Main XP box with linux. I'm just not that good at the OS yet. I'm in school for networking and will learn all about it a semester from now. I also have all my video editing software on this comp and could not do without. If you visited the site you might realize i'm trying to set this up for my little movie makeing group.

Edit: It seems h3r3tic's tutorial was written for windows users?
December 7th, 2004, 09:59 PM
Striek

Quote:

Striek, all your initial advice deals with packages and Linux based solutions... hes trying to do this one on Windows XP.

Oops. My bad. Sorry about that.
December 7th, 2004, 10:06 PM
Aden

But isn't there anything more anyone can think of?
I mean it's probally something stupied i overlooked.
December 7th, 2004, 10:10 PM
;TT

ZeroCool's tutorial works just fine (I used it myself before), keep trying, its pretty simple once you get it down the first time.

Are you sure you added the correct lines to your httpd.conf file? Are you sure that you copied over the right files to your %systemroot%/system32 folder?
December 7th, 2004, 10:16 PM
Aden

I've checked and recheck those files.
Let me check out Zerocools tut and see what happens.
Except i can't find a Zerocool?
December 7th, 2004, 10:29 PM
;TT

Heh... ZeroCool = h3r3tic, ZeroCool is his IRC handle. :D
December 7th, 2004, 10:34 PM
Aden

Ahh crap wellshould i try it again?
Any suggestion on deleating everything?
December 8th, 2004, 06:50 AM
Aden

I really think my problem is with My SQL. While i've been messing around with it it seems to give me the most trouble.
Correct my logic here if i'm wrong.
THe site doesn't load all the way some of the time or most of the time.
MySQL is the Database.
So the website is having a hard time accessing that info to display on the web.
SO it can't get it from MySQL?

Maybe? I don't know i might be shooting in the dark here.
Zerocool used 4.0 in his tut but on this dl page http://http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/
We have some other choices. THeres MySQL 4.1 and My SQL 5.0
Also after you click on that and scroll down to windows there are two options there as well
Windows (x86)
Without installer (unzip in c:\)
and sometimes windows essentials (x86)

Could my error of been made here?