Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -
Number of replies: 10

Hello,
I did a complete new installation using on a server at 1Eurohosting.be.
Everything went well. good php-versions - good Mysql-version.
Ik set the permissions for mimetex ans algebrafilters as '755' (and even tried '777'.
As an administrator I turned the filters on.
Unfortunately the latex-expressions not render at all.
I tried a simple expression in a html testfile: $$ \frac{1}{2} $$
I got the text \frac{1}{2}
On clicking on this text I got:

Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request

I aleady looked around on several forums, but as not being expert enough,
I don't understand the way to work around.
As a math-teacher, I used moodle 1.8 with very satisfaction. Everything with tex-etc... worked fine. So for the moment I am a little dissapointed due to great expectations about the upgrade to 2.3.

I have no direct acces to the server. So /usr/bin/ ... etc is not possible to use I think.

Can someone give me a hint where I could find direct usable information.
I only want to have mimetex working.
For the moment not more sofhisticated rederesoftware.
Thanks for any help.
Kind regards.
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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Mauno Korpelainen -

How did you set those permissions? With some command, FTP program... For folders or files like filter/tex/mimetex.linux (on Linux) ?

"Something" might block these permission chamges to take effect - for example SeLinux ( see http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=63195 ) or a missconfigured .htaccess file and you might get more info if you set debugging to ALL from Site administration > Development > Debugging

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In reply to Mauno Korpelainen

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -

Thank you for the first care.
I have access to my files bu a program 'DirectAdmin'.
I will ask my provider what version of linux or unix is on their servers.
I found no .htaccess file. I remember I had to use one on my old moodle install(1.8) to set som variables. For this installation (2.3) it seemed not be neccessary.
I am one step further.

Thanks

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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -

At the moment my provider answered that they only implemented 'GB Lib' as latex extension.
For me that meens nothing. I dont know how to handle this information or what to do with it.

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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by AL Rachels -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers

Patrick,

From what you are describing I suspect that /usr/bin/convert might be missing. My last 5 server installs using Centos 5.8, 6.2, and 6.3, it was left out everytime and I had to add it myself. I think my last use of Fedora did the same thing, but can't remember for sure. Since I did a 64 bit install I also had to add the 32 bit version of glibc to get things to work. (yum install glibc.i686) With those changes, I even have it working with SeLinux set to Enforcing mode. big grin

You might ask your host if they are on the server.

Hope this helps,

AL

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In reply to AL Rachels

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -

Thank you for your concern.I will ask my provider to check.
Kind regards.

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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Marc Grober -

Well, whatever you do, don't read the Moodle docs on debugging use of the TeX filter and goodness gracious don't post the results of the debugging.....  

You could install MathJax as it is very simple and does not require any OS admin access

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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -

Dear Marc,I want to believe Mathjax is the best solution. So I looked around and found so many discussions on mathjax installing, problems, good working, a great docupage of Mauno, the mathpackages A and B from mauno, with or without mathjax, etc...
Dated 2010, 2011, etc...
So: there are too many trees in the wood for a newbie as me.

Can someone point me to the latest version for getting mathjax working within moodle.
Or does the mathpackage A from mauno will do?
I want to use tex in question, test, etc.. just as I used to have tex-filter working in moodle 1.8.

Thanks anyway.

 

 

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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Mauno Korpelainen -

Check http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=193064 for a quick start if you only need MathJax...

Disable both algebra filter and tex filter first to see if you get mathjax working with help of that link. If you want to use both tex filter (with mimetex) and MathJax you can use different inlinemath and displaymath tokens (instead of doubledollars)...

There is one tiny problem in using MathJax after Mimetex - the syntax is not totally equal - but http://www.mathjax.org/docs/2.0/tex.html gives a nice start.

To this original problem - if mimetex binary did work in your moodle 1.8 it should work also with moodle 2.x if permissions of folder filter/tex and the mimetex file there are correct (755) and moodle has write access to sub folders of moodledata folder. But it is also possible that this Internal Server Error is caused by some other "misconfiguration" like time-out (memory limit too low in php.ini) or for example "wrong type of url" $CFG->wwwroot in site config.php (www.examplesite.xx vs examplesite.xx)

I might disable algebra filter in any case since it has had other issues as well.

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In reply to Patrick Tydtgat

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Marc Grober -

mauno's plugins are super,  but you need not use them to use mathjax. You just need to enter info in additionalhtml... see mauno's earlier post to this thread for setup info for just using mathjax.  one thing ata time smile

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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Moodle 2.3.1 - Tex filter not working

by Patrick Tydtgat -

Mauno, Marc, thanks both of you!
"The following link http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=193064 for a quick start if you only need MathJax..."
was really all I needed.
I got things work in about 15 minutes.
That link was as gold for me. Everyone should be pointed to things like that.
I own you something.
Sorry for the bad english. I am naturally dutch speeking Belgian.
You made a mathteacher happy today.
best regards.

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