Topic: Help! SMF asking for FTP access during SimplePortal install

[Tia1230]

I am trying to get the portal installed but its asking for FTP access I have never had a problem before. I am using version SMF 1.1.13 Any help would be appreciative

[AngelinaBelle]

If Package Manager is asking for FTP account information while installing, it is probably trying to solve some permission problems that are preventing it from editing existing files, writing new files, or even creating the temp directory to unpack the mod's package.


If this is the case, you have a couple of options, I think

• reset all your file and folder permissions yourself (see Solving Install Problems for more)
• Just give it the FTP login and let SMF fix the file and folder permissions.

Please try one of these steps and report back here how it worked out.

[Tia1230]

Ok I did as you suggested and gave it FTP access and it crashed the forum. I have no idea how to fix it when it has an unexpected error because I don't have any idea what I am doing in the server. I don't even know how to even take the mod out when it crashes the forum.

[AngelinaBelle]

I don't think SimplePortal crashed your forum.
But the Package Manager might have done. I've had that happen, when I asked it to do change file permissions for me.


Can you get to your forum at all, or are you getting some kind of server error message?

[Tia1230]

I am getting an error and can't get even back on the forum. I have to ask my hosting company to take it out. Since I am still kind of a newbie on hosting its hard to figure out what to even do.

ETA: Is there a way to fix all the permissions in the server so that it doesn't ask for FTP access?
Never mind my hosting company finally fixed the problem. So thanks
Its half resolved it doesn't ask for the FTP access but it still crashed the forum lol

[AngelinaBelle]

What is your host? I had something like this happen twice, on a 1and1 hosted website.
I had tried using SMF's file permission setting to change the permission of one or two files
It seemed that something like CHMOD 000 happened all the way up to the ftp user root.
I was never quite sure because I couldn't even log in with FTP!
The website was a sub-account, and the account owner fixed the problem for without involving tech support.

Just to make sure, I did it again a little while later. Now, I never let SMF mess with the permissions via FTP.
If you use your favorite FTP client and set the permissions appropriately yourself, SMF's Package Manager should have no further problems. UNLESS you also have a CHOWN problem.  Sometimes a glitch in the server causes files in your directory, creating by a web-based process, to be owned by someone other than the directory's owner.  This can cause permission problems. In this case, SMF winds up not having permission to edit the files or add files to the affected directory.
You can check the ownership of all your files and directories. If you find any ownership problems, you will have to ask your host to help you fix them.
Can you run SMF at all now?

[amko_sa]

In my case smf seek ftp information only when mod that I try to install showing certain mistakes(incompatibility, inability to modify some file...)
Internal hosting permissions can also be a cause (some file protection).

But after all of that if your installation does not shows the error in the modification of forum files (install process),  your forum and portal must be ok after installation.

Also after the installation you must return the permissions on the folders chmod 755 and chmod 644 for files, because in your case I think that SMF can not do it.

[Tia1230]

What is your host? I had something like this happen twice, on a 1and1 hosted website.
I had tried using SMF's file permission setting to change the permission of one or two files
It seemed that something like CHMOD 000 happened all the way up to the ftp user root.
I was never quite sure because I couldn't even log in with FTP!
The website was a sub-account, and the account owner fixed the problem for without involving tech support.

Just to make sure, I did it again a little while later. Now, I never let SMF mess with the permissions via FTP.
If you use your favorite FTP client and set the permissions appropriately yourself, SMF's Package Manager should have no further problems. UNLESS you also have a CHOWN problem.  Sometimes a glitch in the server causes files in your directory, creating by a web-based process, to be owned by someone other than the directory's owner.  This can cause permission problems. In this case, SMF winds up not having permission to edit the files or add files to the affected directory.
You can check the ownership of all your files and directories. If you find any ownership problems, you will have to ask your host to help you fix them.
Can you run SMF at all now?

My hosting company is Ipage. and no for awhile SMF wasn't working. I knew it wasn't the mod causing the problems because when the test ran they were all successful. It wasn't just the portal mod that crashed the forum I tried to install a global headers and footers one to and it did the exact same thing. They finally looked into after I kept telling them it wasn't the mod and half fixed it. Anyways I got the mod to install but yet again it crashed the forum after it installed. They finally helped me after 20 crashes of the same error so it actually up now. But I am scared to death to add any more mods. They kept telling me to go to the vender and get the right version for your forum thats compatible with your version they kept telling me that it wasn't taking it because it wasn't compatible with the server. At this point I was so frustrated I told them to tell me what mods I can use of my version that won't crash the forum. Then they were like all the mods that are in my version work. I felt like punching someone but not literally so thanks for your help I really appreciated it.

[AngelinaBelle]

There must be something about how your host sets things up that is causing you problems.
In order to do stuff like what Package Manager does, SMF depends on the php engine running files in your directory as if it were you. Sometimes, this doesn't work as well as you would like.
iPage advertises that they support SMF. So I bet there is a community of iPage SMF users somewhere. Maybe you can find them at simplemachines.org. think that iPage is owned by EIG, which owns several other hosts. Some of them may use a similar platform, so you might be able to get help from those users as well.
If you cannot get Package Manager to work for you on your host, you may wind up doing some installs manually. There is information on that here (see the docs buton above) and at wiki.simplemachines.org.

[Tia1230]

There must be something about how your host sets things up that is causing you problems.
In order to do stuff like what Package Manager does, SMF depends on the php engine running files in your directory as if it were you. Sometimes, this doesn't work as well as you would like.
iPage advertises that they support SMF. So I bet there is a community of iPage SMF users somewhere. Maybe you can find them at simplemachines.org. think that iPage is owned by EIG, which owns several other hosts. Some of them may use a similar platform, so you might be able to get help from those users as well.
If you cannot get Package Manager to work for you on your host, you may wind up doing some installs manually. There is information on that here (see the docs buton above) and at wiki.simplemachines.org.

I actually figured out to install the program from the website and not from there simple scripts option and so far its been good. It seems to only want that information if its not in a subfolder so I have it in a smf folder and its working. The simple script one was so buggy it wouldn't let anyone post and anyone log in that was an admin. So I don't exactly know whats wrong with it. But simple portal went on perfectly along with other mods and it seems to be ok for the moment. I have talked to them so many times about SMF and they don't seem to ever exactly fix the problem. Which kind of stinks since I have a whole year with them.

[AngelinaBelle]

I am so glad you were able to solve the problem.
I bet there other SMF users at IPage, with similar problems who post at or read simplemachines.org.
Your experience could help them, and their experience could help you.
OK to mark this one solved?

[kerbob]

I'm on IPage and am getting asked for FTP credentials.  I also had the same problem installing Simple Portal on the previous version of SMF.  I had to call tech support and they 'fixed a permissions' problem.  The default security for the folders on iPage is 755.  I wonder if something else needs to be changed.

The Package manager is having a problem with my root directory for the install.

[AngelinaBelle]

0755 should be an OK file permission setting. If IPage requires that, they may also be running suexec, which should prevent CHOWN problems, as long as it is set up properly (I think).

For files, you should be able to use 0655 or even 0644.  But don't ask SMF to do these CHMODs! Tia1230 had a problem with this on the same host, just as I did on 1and1.com.

Another thing that often helps is to create, in the Packages directory, a directory temp, with permission 0755 (the highest your host allows).  This sometimes cures all kinds of package manager problems.

[kerbob]

Thanks for the reply Angelina.    Let me cry on your shoulder a bit more..

You and I have been on the same path.  I moved from 1and1 to iPage.  iPage supports larger databases, but has problems with up time and performance at times.  Both have the same issue with mods.  Its not just Simple Portal, I also have the problem with Aeva ~ Auto-Embed Video & Audio and Simple Audio Video Embedder.  Anything that wants to update files in the root I think.

The files in the root that SimplePortal wants to modify are set to 755 and the Packages/temp dir also has a 755 but disappears after each time I click to install SimplePortal and get the FTP box.  In the past, I was able to supply FTP credentials and it would install successfully, but then my site was inacessible, it would hose my root dir permissions in a way that the technicians would never explain when they fixed it, and then all would be well and I would have my mod installed.

Now, even though I'm supplying the FTP credentials correctly, it is giving me a 530 Login incorrect error. I KNOW my ftp credentials are correct since I can logon from the command line without issues.  Would you mind PM'ing me where you have moved to?  I think I'm done with iPage.  I'm going to try to follow your manual install instructions I found here elsewhere.  I hate my page without the Simple Portal mod!

All the support folks here are the best. 

[AngelinaBelle]

The forum I administer still uses 1and1 -- it seems adequate.
At 1and1 I solved the problems with mod installation.  I read their information about suexec and file permissions, and I STOPPED supplying FTP credentials to SMF. Because 1and1 uses suexec, FTP is not necessary, and it seemed not to work at 1and1.

Does iPage use suexec?