Hello.
My installation of moogle on Debian linux hangs. All I get are a blank screens. I set mysql base, I run apache, seems like everything works. I tested apache by making index.php with phpinfo(); function in my /var/www/moodle directory, and it works. I've made config.php manually, and I'm pretty shure it's ok, but when I start originall index.php in by browser all I get is a blank screen with nothing on it.
I tried removing config.ini and starting moodle/install.php in browser. After choosing language, and then directories on the next screen, and then mysql username and pas on the next, it shows also the blank screen - and it is supposed to make tables in db or take me to the admin page to continue installation... but it hangs on the blank screen.
I double checked that www-data is the owner of /var/www/moodle and /var/www/moodledata, so apache can edit them.
I also checked the logs for php - no errors reported.
BTW. checking logs for moogle before I found that it can not find the file /var/www/moodle/favicon.ico, so I downloaded some little gif (debian logo) and saved it in the folder as favicon.ico. Now I can see that icon in firefox in the addres bar when i write addres moodle, but nothing happens still. After that, this error was not reported anymore.
Please, I need help with this, because I tried everything I know, and the same thing is happening to me at my workplace computer. Is it somekind of bug?
Drasko
In reply to Drasko Draskovic
Re: Instalation problems - All I get is a blank screen!
by Zbigniew Fiedorowicz -
Check the following post, it may be applicable:
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=18791#89810
http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=18791#89810
In reply to Zbigniew Fiedorowicz
Re: Instalation problems - All I get is a blank screen!
by Drasko Draskovic -
No... still no answer...
Link above is about admin/index.php... I tried it, though, commenting out that particular line in /admin/index.php - no go! I think I am really haveing trouble with main index.php, not with /admin/index.php. Something's bad, something's really bad..
Link above is about admin/index.php... I tried it, though, commenting out that particular line in /admin/index.php - no go! I think I am really haveing trouble with main index.php, not with /admin/index.php. Something's bad, something's really bad..
In reply to Drasko Draskovic
Re: Instalation problems - All I get is a blank screen!
by Howard Miller -
Just to be clear - you *did* check the Apache error_log file?
In reply to Drasko Draskovic
Re: Instalation problems - All I get is a blank screen!
by Jaime Mendes -
Hi,
I'm also getting exactly the same problems as the first user reported in this thread. At the moment my server has the following version of Apache and PHP installed :
- Apache 2 version 2.0.52-r1
- PHP version 4.3.10
When I run the webroot/moodle/install.php I can get as far as the path verification steps but Moodle always complains that it can't verify the web server root! I've tried the suggestions of running the install.php from the localhost and then changing the webroot in the config.php file later but it didn't work, Moodle still complained...
I've had a look at the install.php script and it seems that Moodle tries to verify that it can read the /install.php file and if not, returns an erronous return code. I quickly changed the boolean comparison so that it would skip the checking regardless but then I got as far as entering the database information and then after having clicked "next", the screen went blank again...
I've also tried manually creating my own config.php with all the information entered correctly and when I point a browser to the correct URL, I just keep getting blank screens.
Not impressed with Moodle at all!
I'm also getting exactly the same problems as the first user reported in this thread. At the moment my server has the following version of Apache and PHP installed :
- Apache 2 version 2.0.52-r1
- PHP version 4.3.10
When I run the webroot/moodle/install.php I can get as far as the path verification steps but Moodle always complains that it can't verify the web server root! I've tried the suggestions of running the install.php from the localhost and then changing the webroot in the config.php file later but it didn't work, Moodle still complained...
I've had a look at the install.php script and it seems that Moodle tries to verify that it can read the /install.php file and if not, returns an erronous return code. I quickly changed the boolean comparison so that it would skip the checking regardless but then I got as far as entering the database information and then after having clicked "next", the screen went blank again...
I've also tried manually creating my own config.php with all the information entered correctly and when I point a browser to the correct URL, I just keep getting blank screens.
Not impressed with Moodle at all!
In reply to Jaime Mendes
Re: Instalation problems - All I get is a blank screen!
by Drasko Draskovic -
Gotten it to work!
Although I installed php4-mysql debian package, ther obviausly was some error in php communitcation with mysql...
I noticed that when I tried to put some script I copied from the php's site, replacing the index.php. This is a simple script with mysql_connect() function... Then i realised that this function is not working propperly. So I checked phpinfo() and realised that there was not a section for mysql at all, only postgresql was detected (being also installed on my machine).
So, I tried the easy way - by reinstalling mysql. It worked, because, after checking the phpinfo() I could notice this section for mysql, and the mysql_connect() function was working. Then I replaced index.php with original index.php I've gotten with moodle, and this time it worked - taking me through the rest of instalation...
What I am concerned about is that all I've getting before were just blank screens, no error messages were given. Really annoying issue - when you dont know where and how to look fo help. This can be really discourageing for the new users...
Although I installed php4-mysql debian package, ther obviausly was some error in php communitcation with mysql...
I noticed that when I tried to put some script I copied from the php's site, replacing the index.php. This is a simple script with mysql_connect() function... Then i realised that this function is not working propperly. So I checked phpinfo() and realised that there was not a section for mysql at all, only postgresql was detected (being also installed on my machine).
So, I tried the easy way - by reinstalling mysql. It worked, because, after checking the phpinfo() I could notice this section for mysql, and the mysql_connect() function was working. Then I replaced index.php with original index.php I've gotten with moodle, and this time it worked - taking me through the rest of instalation...
What I am concerned about is that all I've getting before were just blank screens, no error messages were given. Really annoying issue - when you dont know where and how to look fo help. This can be really discourageing for the new users...
> Not impressed with Moodle at all!
Given the thousands of successful users of Moodle, it is much more likely to be a result of a configuration problem or oddity on your system (as you found out). We will give you all the help you need - all we ask is that you be nice!
It is the nature of PHP and not Moodle that fatal errors do not always make it to the web screen. An important debugging step (that is in the FAQ) is to check for errors turning up in the Apache error_log file. Moodle *does* make a number of checks of your system during the install phase. Perhaps we should check for the database drivers being installed for your selected database. You might want to enter a feature suggestion in moodle.org/bugs.
Update:
Just had a look at the code and in fact install.php *does* check for the mysql extensions being present. So, reading between the lines, you seem to have had a problem with your actual mysql install rather than the PHP install. I think that there is almost no chance of Moodle spotting that sort of problem. You were unlucky I'm afraid.
Given the thousands of successful users of Moodle, it is much more likely to be a result of a configuration problem or oddity on your system (as you found out). We will give you all the help you need - all we ask is that you be nice!
It is the nature of PHP and not Moodle that fatal errors do not always make it to the web screen. An important debugging step (that is in the FAQ) is to check for errors turning up in the Apache error_log file. Moodle *does* make a number of checks of your system during the install phase. Perhaps we should check for the database drivers being installed for your selected database. You might want to enter a feature suggestion in moodle.org/bugs.
Update:
Just had a look at the code and in fact install.php *does* check for the mysql extensions being present. So, reading between the lines, you seem to have had a problem with your actual mysql install rather than the PHP install. I think that there is almost no chance of Moodle spotting that sort of problem. You were unlucky I'm afraid.