Moodle 3 hangs on install

Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -
Number of replies: 16

Greetings,

I just upgraded to a new server with more (adequate) resources to run moodle. When I attempt to install all server checks have status of "OK". However on the next step the install hangs. Rather than spitting out the typical list of "successful" components being installed. I just get a blank page with 

Installation

System

displayed. When I refresh the browser, I am taken to a "Plugins check" screen. At the very bottom is a button "Upgrade moodle database now". This takes me to another blank page with one line on it, I refresh it changes the line, with every refresh it appears to be going through the database upgrade line by line. I can continue this for approximately 100 lines before it hangs completely (returning a truly blank page with no text).

I did a test install on my local MAMP server and everything went fine. I thought maybe the php script on my real server was timing out so I increased the max_execution_time in my php.ini file. This didn't help at all.

Does anybody else know what would be causing this? I have searched for many hours with no joy.

Thanks

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi

To move an existing Moodle to a new maschine you do not https://docs.moodle.org/en/Installing_Moodle, you do a https://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle_migration.

That explains why you get the message "Upgrade moodle database now" (which should appear only when you are upgrading).
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -

Thank you for the reply.


My apologies, I should have been more clear. 


I am doing a fresh install. 


Not migrating the old stuff. The point is the new server in theory is far more capable of running Moodle than the old one, yet I'm having such difficulties...

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
OK. So you are installing Moodle. On which platform? What are the system software (operating system, database, web server, PHP)? Remember, "Also provide as much relevant background information as you can about the versions and configuration of your server OS, PHP and browser." https://moodle.org/mod/forum/post.php?forum=15.

What tutorial do you follow, out of the full lisit https://docs.moodle.org/en/Category:Installation ? Where does your installation to wrong?
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -

The platform is a VPS with Linux, WHM, cPanel. 6GB ram. PHP 5.6 OPCACHE and Mod_ruid.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Your VPS is slightly different than most with Mod_ruid.   Any directions one might read concerning installing/running/upgrading Moodle might be incorrect for your server setup (mod_ruid) - which is like suPHP.  suPHP doesn't like anything that is group writable by the apache group on a stock CentOS server and will prevent installation/functioning of Moodle.

Qualification for this response: do run Linux servers (VPS's/standalones on Rackspace) but don't run mod_ruid and have disabled suPHP on a few.

Did find a link:

https://forum.directadmin.com/showthread.php?t=37467

which does show mod_ruid does require some special configuration ... that might affect installation/upgrade of Moodle, me thinks.

So check apache error logs on your system to see if there is anything mod_ruid related.

'spirit of sharing', Ken


Average of ratings: -
In reply to Ken Task

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -

Thanks for this info. I'll look into this further.

Do you think I should I disable mod_ruid and instead run mod_userdir?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

If you are truly on a VPS ... and the only customer on that system ... I can't imagine why one would setup a Moodle in a user directory ... like /home/user/public_html/ when you have access to the actual apache instance at /var/www/

Am talking CentOS here ... don't know what specific distro you are running ... but they are similar when it comes to config of moduser_dir.

Problem with userdir ... document root is in /home/user/public_html/ so your moodle code has to go in there.  However, moodle has a requirement for moodledata to NOT be directly accessible via URL.   So where does one put the moodledata directory?   Can't put it into /home/user/ unless one tweaks the config for mod_userdir.

Much easier to use: /var/www/html/ as document root (moodle code goes in there) - apache already knows about and has access to /var/www/html/ contents.   Even better ... moodledata you place in /var/www/.   Apache already has access rights to that directory.   In /var/www/ one will already see cgi-bin, icons, usage (if running Webalizer and it's on) and other stuff on a stock Apache install.

Only diff for you ... you might login as 'bob' but you need to su to root if using shell (ssh access).   Then you can do whatever you need to do with Moodle via command line ... no gui tool needed as Moodle does contain scripts to not only update, but upgrade (if using git) in /var/www/html/admin/cli/

After executing those scripts to install/update/upgrade as root, the only thing one had to remember is to change ownerships/permissons back to apache:apache (again a CentOS thang).   And even that can be included in your 'update' script ... last line

'spirit of sharing', Ken

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Emma Richardson -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Seeing as this is a fresh install, I suggest deleting everything (database, moodle code, etc) and starting again with a fresh installer.  Something has gone awry somewhere - much quicker to start again that try and isolate exactly what.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -

Here are some screen shots

Attachment Screen Shot 2016-03-11 at 11.21.55 PM.png
Attachment Screen Shot 2016-03-11 at 11.22.00 PM.png
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Jonathan Nickerson -

and then the plugins check

Attachment Screen Shot 2016-03-11 at 11.22.48 PM.png
Attachment Screen Shot 2016-03-11 at 11.29.10 PM.png
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Emma Richardson -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Check the timeout settings in your php settings and increase them.  Delete the cache and tmp cache folders from your moodledata folder...try again...

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Jonathan Nickerson

Re: Moodle 3 hangs on install

by Richard Wenner -

This could also be browser dependent.  Using Chrome I found that after 3 minutes you can access the admin details screen by pressing the Ctrl F5 option to reload.  All then seems to be operating correctly.

Average of ratings: Useful (1)