Thread

This question may be related to a resolved thread, (Even though nothing was really DONE in that thread!!)

Read everything in the existing threads, but have an issue on a brand new install of EE2.1 where I cannot save my very first template as a file. The path is correct, the templates folder permissions are 777, and, strangely, when I selected “Allow templates to be saved as files” in Global Template Prefs it created the default_site folder in the templates folder.

So why can’t I save the template as a file? Any help appreciated. I’ve tried relative paths (*knew* that wouldn’t work but tried anyway) and the full server path. Also tried ending the path with and without a trailing slash.

Can’t save as a file.

dashard,

Can you now check the permissions on that newly created default_site folder. What are they?

Is this a local install or on a professional hosted solution?

Permissions are 777, though I can’t recall if they were 755 to start and I changed them or not.

This is hosted on MediaTemple, on a DV.

dashard,

Are you able to upload images via the File Manager without issues?

Yes, I am. Just set that up and all went well.
Re-checked the permissions on the Templates folder and they’re as they should be (777).

Deleted the default_site folder, opened a template, re-saved (with “Save Template as File” checked) and it recreated the default_site folder, but still refuses to create the template file.

MADDENING! I’m at a standstill. Over THIS?

Please help if you can.

PS - new default_site folder is created with correct permissions (777).

dashard,

Can you compare the owner of the default.site folder with the owner of the other folders? Is there a difference?

OK. There was indeed a difference in owner/group. The default_site folder was owner/group apache, and the folders I created for file uploads (that worked) were owner/group my_login_name/psacln (where my_login_name is my actual EE admin name and the group… well… whatever that is).

So I figured if I create my OWN default_site folder (which I did) and its permissions are the same as what works for image uploads (which they were) it would all work.

But, no. Error on trying to resave template that it couldn’t save as a text file.

!!!!!!!

Does PHP safe_mode matter? I tried turning it off and it didn’t remedy the situation.
Just wondering as I saw it mentioned in a similar thread to this.

dashard,

Does PHP safe_mode matter? I tried turning it off and it didn’t remedy the situation.

Yes this should be off. Did you restart Apache after changing this setting?

Also do you have an open_basedir restriction by any chance?

But, no. Error on trying to resave template that it couldn’t save as a text file.

Make sure you hit the permissions for the folders inside the default folder as well.
Are they being created?

I must say (just venting here) that this being the “official” means of support, I’m underwhelmed. No offense. The reality is I’ve needed very little help over the years, and now that I need it… well, I’m underwhelmed.

First, 4 hours to get _simple_ questions lobbed at you is a long turnaround. In a 12 hour span that yields 4 or 5 or 6 basic questions, and then long waits for the next round of basic questions. I’ve done IT support, and there needs to an exhaustive array of questions, options and suggestions at the get-go, a la “if this doesn’t work, then try that. If that doesn’t work, try this. Make sure that this is this way and that’s not that way…”, etc. An orderly process to ferret out the issue should be offered, otherwise it’s *not very professional* support.

Again, I’m reading about my issue in several locations, and I’ve not yet seen a “definitive solution,” but rather the exhale of moderators who seem relieved that this or that issue kinda worked itself out. “Glad you’re back up and running” with no new support assets generated, because no one seems to know (in many cases) what exactly it was that worked! But we sure are happy that it did. No admin follow-up of “hey, could you please let us know what it was you did so we know in the future…” or the like. No support assets. What a shame.

For a free product that’s often the best support you can hope for.
For you guys, I must say (with much love, by the way) that I’m very disappointed.

NOT disappointed that you haven’t fixed my problem, mind you. As I said, I’ve done high profile and large scale IT support. Problems can be elusive.

But to reply to an issue with one or two questions (whose answers sometimes exist earlier in the thread) every 4-6 hours is simply not acceptable. A phone number would be great. But if this is the support mechanism, it truly needs to be robust and professional. Right now it’s not acceptable. I feel sorry for the folks who’ve *had* issues lo these years when I’ve not.

And, to finish my rant, I would note that my unwavering support of EE as a leader in this market would, in the future, have to be balanced against my caveat “as long as you don’t have problems.”

The community is a great, thriving, helpful asset and one of the best features of EE.
They are NOT sufficient as frontline app support.

To be clear: I say this in the interest of improving the situation. If you reply that I’m over the top and seeing the glass as half-empty, so be it. I will mitigate my expectations and know that this is not the arena I *thought* it was, which was one of excellence. Across the board.

I don’t have days to figure out why a problem exists (for myself and many others). I don’t.
I’m disappointed in the support around here.

dashard,

I don’t want to leave this unanswered as it is the end of my shift. My apologies you feel this way and that I don’t have the convenience to draft a full response to you immediately.

I am on a different timezone here and my colleagues will be coming on-line in the next couple of hours. We will then respond in full to your concerns and comments you have conveyed.

Just spent an hour on the phone with MediaTemple. Here’s what finally worked (and it’s not pretty).

This is what was required for a MediaTemple DV (Dedicated Virtual) setup to work properly:
(please note that the links on items 4-6, 8, 9 are screen shots)

1) Enable root access.
2) Log in via Plesk *as root*
3) Select the Virtuozzo tool
4) Use the Virtuozzo File Manager to navigate to /var/www/vhosts/your_host_name/conf
5) Create a new file named vhost.conf
6) Paste the following in the textarea for the file contents:

<Directory "/var/www/vhosts/your_domain_name.com/httpdocs">
php_admin_value open_basedir "/var/www/vhosts/your_domain_name.com/httpdocs:/tmp:/var/www/vhosts/your_domain_name.com/httpdocs/ee_system_folder/expressionengine/templates"
php_admin_value include_path ".:/var/www/vhosts/your_domain_name.com/httpdocs/ee_system_folder/expressionengine/templates"
</Directory>

NOTE: the code above assumes that your server’s root document folder is called “httpdocs”
If it is not, change that accordingly.

7) Save the file.
8) Restart Apache by going to the Plesk Desktop and choosing “Manage Services.”
9) Click the Yellow “Restart” button to restart Apache
10) Wait for restart to complete, and then create a “phpinfo” page at the root of your server using your ftp program. The file should be named “phpinfo.php”, and contain ONLY the following:

<?php
phpinfo();
?>

     
11) In your browser, navigate to your phpinfo.php page (your_domain.com/phpinfo.php) and scroll down to (or search for) “open_basedir” to see if your template folder path exists in the listing. It should. If it doesn’t, you may want to call and have MediaTemple assist you with the heavy lifting.
12) At this point I was able to save a template as a file. A full two days after the issue reared its head. Holy cow.

I hope this helps someone.
I understand it’s MediaTemple-specific, but the open_basedir and vhost.conf issues should translate to anyone with higher-lever hosting. I am informed that if you host using MediaTemple’s gridserver (gs) you can make these declarations in the Template folder’s .htaccess file, though I can neither confirm that nor do I know if the syntax is the same.

The MediaTemple KB article that this all came from (which describes setting up open_basedir directives but is otherwise an article for setting up Pear on the MediaTemple servers) is located here: http://kb.mediatemple.net/questions/514/Enabling+PEAR+by+setting+your+open_basedir+and+include_path

Will edit this when I’m more awake. It’s 4am here in NYC. Happy to have resolved this.

Woo-hoo template files! (*sigh…)

Hi, dashard -

First, thank you for the detailed feedback.

The reason that we offer support in the way that we do - with a few questions at a time, is because asking every possible question may not be possible without the initial answers, and often is very confusing down the line - for all parties.

This way has worked for us to resolve thousand of customer issues in a timely and efficient manner.

Ultimately you ran into a hosting issue; open_basedir would have come up in this thread, probably as the next step to check into, as it is a common problem; however, permissions are always the first thing we look into.

As per our Support Policy, we attempt to answer incoming enquiries within one business day.  The answers in this thread were well within that range, on the matter of a few hours.

I’ve done IT support, and there needs to an exhaustive array of questions, options and suggestions at the get-go, a la “if this doesn’t work, then try that. If that doesn’t work, try this. Make sure that this is this way and that’s not that way…”, etc. An orderly process to ferret out the issue should be offered, otherwise it’s *not very professional* support.

I’ve addressed this before, but I do want to remark on it again.  This has never worked for us on these forums.  They confuse the user and make it much harder to follow the issue through to resolution because of following multiple, possibly unrelated tracks.

We do go through an orderly process to get through an issue, by following a single track, based on our experience, and movign from issue to issue. It is a little slower at time, but overall we find it to be much faster and much more easily followed by our support team and, more importantly, the majority of our customers.

Thank you again for your feedback.  If you have any more feedback about our software or support processes, I welcome you to email me via lisa DOT wess AT ellislab.com.

Thank you!