Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -
Number of replies: 24

Hello,

So I have gotten through the 3.8 installations on Ubuntu 18.04 but when I browse to my URL and enter the Admin login credentials the next page gives an error that the page is unable to be reached.

I followed your Moodle Docs Installation guide and I also asked 2 of my associates to try on their own (using a guide of their choice) and they have found the same problem. We are all working with HTTP only for now, with the same version of Moodle, PHP 7.2 & MySQL

Any suggested solutions for this issue?

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

If you cannot see admin menu after authenticating, you might have to authenticate first (to get logged on as an admin) and then using your browser, go directly to debugging via URL:

/admin/settings.php?section=debugging

You also referenced (sorta) another discussion about where and how to install (using Softac, etc)  .... sorta mentioned in this posting ... which 'method' did you try?  And may as well ask with what provider?  DigialOcean Droplet?

'SoS', Ken


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In reply to Ken Task

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

Thanks for both responses and for simplicity, I will seek to provide information to both in this post.

Got to the Debugging settings via the URL and changed the first option from NONE to NoRMAL. So it is now a matter of what & how to fix.

As for methods used, in my case, I tried both of these -

https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Installing_Moodle as well as https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Installation_quick_guide

Both with the same result. Granted, since this is HTTP I did not expect perfection. In fact, one of my associates has given me an idea which I will share with Ken directly.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

"... associates has given me an idea which I will share with Ken directly."

Please do ... am all ears.  Why not here in public forums where many could benefit?

'SoS', Ken

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In reply to Ken Task

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

Thank you for responding Ken.

My associate has a wider scope of thought and some of it relates to sharing some specific information with you.

The part that I can openly share has to do with the version. In his view, I should scrub the droplet (I forgot to state it previously that I am using DO) and this time, start with ver 3.5 as it is the oldest supported. Once this is working over HTTPS, then upgrade version by successive version to get any new features and security fixes.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

Actually, I think (and others do as well) if doing fresh/new server begin with installation of apache and set up of cert to get site/apache to talk https first.

Once that's working then do PHP + php extensions needed for Moodle ... talking https with just a phpinfo script at web root. 

Lastly ... Moodle install using https and from command line using git.   That doesn't use the web interface and the snafu with the admin password doesn't happen so whatever version of Moodle is highest and supported  by PHP version/MySQL version.

Don't have to play forward one back one only go forward again! smile

Since installed with git update a breeze ... upgrades much easier and reliable - not as prone to human error in moving files/folders around out/in etc.  Code stays where it's at!

'SoS', Ken

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In reply to Ken Task

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -
Ken, I am really grateful for your taking the interest and time to respond. I would, however, feel more comfortable if I were able to share certain information with you directly and get your feedback.

Further to the above, I have followed the advice and started from the top with the site talking HTTPS. I am at the point where Git has been used to get the version (38_stable) required. However, before I copy over the files from that to where I am to run the CLI, would you please confirm the folder permissions for the various folders (/varmoodledata: /var/www/html/mywebroot: etc). I just want to be sure that I have covered all the basses properly.
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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

If running git scripts as root (Howard does it) no problems ... just at the end (with fresh install the new config.php file created has no global all can at least read config.php - I forget to do that sometimes so I get the 'dreaded white screen of death' ... until I make config.php readable by all).   After the whole process is run and DB updated, last things are chmod commands to get permissions in a better state.   Think Howard does same.

For example, have some scripts hidden in plain site ... ie, at code root that I really don't care to have the globe see (or Search Engines ... google might find) .... so chown root:root [filestochange] is done on them

as well as chmod go-rwx on scripts.

That what you are asking?

'SoS', Ken

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

Hi

All the "theory" behind those permissions is that a) the web server must have read permissions in moodle directory (/var/www/html/mywebroot in your case) b) the web server must have read and write permissions in the moodledata diretory (/var/moodledata in your case. That's it!

The experienced system administrators don't give anything/anybody more permissions than necessary. Which means here no write permissions for the web server in moodle directory, for example. But giving those permissions won't break any thing, it just makes the installation robust for the future. So, don't worry about all those things at the beginning. You are yet to take your Moodle on-line. Just visit the URL your site is expected to go on-line and repair the site as the errors happen. Keep https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Debugging active at a high level, DEVELOPER is recommended, for a detailed report on what is going wrong. Find the web server's error log, /var/log/apache2/error.log in Debian-based Linux distributions (Ubuntu, for example), and watch it.

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

I followed the advice above of starting the whole thing from HTTPS and doing the install from the command line instead of the web. Everything went through as before and it got through the Registration online after the install. Even threw me a Statistics page. However, when I tried to log in again to use my site, I am back at the same unable to reach the page thing.

Just curious, could this have anything to do with the site being registered? Near the end of the registration process, there was a message complaining that the site had already been registered but it gave the option to Continue.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

This is puzzling. Can't remember the full story, but you did an installation following a tutorial like https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Step-by-step_Installation_Guide_for_Ubuntu for example on a VPS running Ubuntu and could enter the admin password, came up to site registration. That was blocked due to a previous site registration and and got locked out? Can't imagine what has happened. The site registration is not enforced, you can skip it, although the skip (or continue) button is separated from the rest (by design?).

Have you deleted all the traces of your previous tries? Like moving or deleting moodle directory, purging the whole moodledata directory?

Activate https://docs.moodle.org/38/en/Debugging and take the level to DEVELOPER. What do you see?

Show us the tutorial you followed. There is no "panel" (Cpanel, Webmin,..) involved, right? See how a smart guy, or his smart "panel", fooled us all: Fatal Error on dataroot https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=402037 sad

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

There is no panel or any of that stuff - I am not that smart.

Since you advise that I activate Debugging as a Developer then I would suggest it would be more practical for me to provide you with the link to the site and any necessary credentials for you to look at what is taking place and tell me what I need to fix. You are more experienced at this than I am and I am fairly certain that the problem is based on something I did wrong r did not do right.

I will await your response.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

Hallo Christopher

Had a look. The problem was with the Apache configuration. You had a single .conf file which redirects both http and with 'www' requests to https-without-www (https://example.com). I couldn't understand it, apparently Moodle didn't either.

Broke it to two very simple .confs, the http one is a single liner, the ssl.conf being the Ubuntu template modified. (Your original confs have been copied to /root.) Restarted Apache and now http://example.com and https://example.com both bring your Moodle, it is pristine for all I can see.

Note that I haven't ventured in to www.example.com. You seem to be an expert in Apache conf, so DIY. If you break Moodle, you know where to look. ;)

AFAIC problem is solved. Please change the passwords!

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

Hi Visvanath,

My thanks for your help is not enough. Honestly, I would not have seen that issue due mainly to the logic that says an individual shouldn't debug their own code as their eyes do not tell them the truth.

I am no Moodle expert. The teachers asked for it to be used because they heard about it. I knew of Moodle because of some work I was doing with a school some years ago. At that time they only wanted a way to get course material to their students and the game has changed significantly since then.

As this is the platform the teachers came to us with, I feel compelled to give it the best shot that I can even though I am giving some consideration to Open EdX as an alternative. For this particular project, Moodle can only work if it meets the main requirements for features and other things. Would you mind if I sent them over to you for you to tell me if it does?

Thanks again for the benefit of your invaluable experience.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

You are welcome. It was in fact easy. Plain, fresh Ubuntu 18.04 VPS and a fresh Moodle instance installed following the tutorial here.

No, the question on LMS requirements, OpenEdx, etc. are in a completely different field. There is a dedicated forum for that, the Comparisons and advocacy forum https://moodle.org/mod/forum/view.php?id=2784. Run a forum search https://moodle.org/mod/forum/search.php?id=5 before you post your enquiry there.

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

I really appreciate your responses. The depth of your experience in the area of online learning shows and is invaluable.

I believe in giving the client what they want (Moodle in this case) as long as it is the right tool for the job. Open EdX only came to my attention via a conversation with an associate and I do not think he is really aware of what it involves.

May I send you the information I have from the teachers outlining what they want so that you can comment directly? Here I am thinking that the benefit of your experience would help put everyone's expectations in the right perspective.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

As already said, I am too Moodle-centric. In the Comparisons forum you'll find people with wider experience. Search for OpenEdx and you'll find two recent discussions with lot of information.

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -
I have been reading through the discussion thread and found it very informative as you said I would.

it is my humble opinion that your Moodle-centric perspective is perfect for what I am asking for. Above all, you are experienced (with Moodle at least) and honest - which is more than I can say for some of those claiming to be guiding these teachers. Against this background, I am asking if you would tell me if what these teachers are being encouraged to require can be met by Moodle?
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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

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

Two things:

  • Why do you avoid posting those requirements on the Comparisons forum? You can paraphrase, if there is something sensitive. The plus side is, the opinions and analysis are automatically documented for the next time.

  • I do not offer private Moodle help. See the statement at the top of my profile. Your Ubuntu problem was an exception!

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In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

Noted. Thanks again for the exception. Your help is really appreciated.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

So 'the right tool for the job' is to be determined by 'teachers outlining' but you have the ultimate decision making power ....  and you are asking everyone in this thread ...  so that "expectations in the right perspective".

According to your profile ... Kingston, Jamaica?   I live and have taught in Texas whose public education is under an education agency who takes their direction for classroom instruction (brick and mortar/F-2-F) from a School Board of Education in conjunction with State Legislature ... I know for a fact ... public education is South Texas, is different from North Texas, is different than deep East Texas ... is different from West Texas (like El Paso ... which is closer to New Mexico than the test of Texas!

Is any one of us throughly knowledgeable of education in Jamaica, how could anyone in this thread possibly assist?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Jamaica

No offense ... but you cannot stay in the 'middle' and ask others to do your job!

'SoS', Ken


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In reply to Ken Task

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Christopher Garwood -

No offense is taken. My deepest thanks for the help and my humble apologies for having bothered you.

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In reply to Christopher Garwood

Re: Page Not Available Error After Admin Login

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

No need to apologize!  'bothered' ... no bother either. Just trying to put this into 'proper perspective'. smile

'SoS', Ken

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