Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

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DBG1
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Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

We just put in this extension: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... lt_avatar/

We should have read the notice before installing, but we didn't.

Anyway, we installed it, activated it, and immediately our site is broken now.

We are getting an HTTP ERROR 500 and our site doesn't load at all.

We tried renaming the extension folder temporarily. Then tried loading the site. That didn't help, didn't work. Now we changed the extension folder name back to what it was originally.

We also have no access to ACP now. ACP wont load either.

What else can we do please?

Thanks.
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by Crizzo »

Hi,

what does the PHP Error Log day about this error?

Loon for Fatal error in that file.
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DBG1
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

You mean the Apache Server logs?

I went into cPanel > Errors and this is the last error within a few minutes:

ModSecurity: Warning. [Rule: 'REQUEST_COOKIES|!REQUEST_COOKIES:/__utm

There are no other fatal errors. Is there somewhere else I can look for errors?
Last edited by DBG1 on Tue Mar 23, 2021 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by warmweer »

Disabling all extensions at once

also read https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... pic/174166. (If it can be made to work with 3.2, then perhaps it's just the .yml that needs editing for you to be able to uninstall it completely.)

Alternatively, use the database backup you made just before installing an extension - works every time.
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DBG1
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

Thank you very very much!!!

The services.yml file in the extension was up to date already for use with 3.3.X

Made the edit from the link below to the defaultavatar.php file and site is working normally again and extension appears to be loading OK now:

https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... 26#p545626

2 more questions please:

1 - I tried to disable all extensions at once and created that ext_disable.php file and uploaded to the root directory where the config.phph file is located. Then I went into a browser and put in https://mysite.com/ext_disable.php, but it wouldn't load anything. Did I do that correctly?

2 - The extension doesn't seem to be working and putting up a default avatar for new users, even after setting it up correctly and clearing the cache. So I guess I will give up on the extension. Then I saw this old post on the link about how to set a default avatar by making a small code change to the includes/functions_display.php file, but the code mentioned in the post isn't there in the includes/functions_display.php file anymore. The post is 10 years ago, so rightfully the code in that file has since changed. Is there anything updated for this?

viewtopic.php?t=2143183

Also, there seems to be this extension, but it looks to be of little use because it doesn't set a default avatar, only adds a bit more functionality once you have the default avatar set: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... _extended/
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by warmweer »

DBG1 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:22 pm 1 - I tried to disable all extensions at once and created that ext_disable.php file and uploaded to the root directory where the config.phph file is located. Then I went into a browser and put in https://mysite.com/ext_disable.php, but it wouldn't load anything. Did I do that correctly?
Just tested on a 3.3.3 testboard with 6 extensions: did exactly what it should (disable all 6 extensions), got an error message when it finished (as expected), removed the file: everything working as expected.

If it didn't load ... did you use windows notepad to make the file?
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

Indeed used Windows Notepad. Copy and pasted the file from the link you gave into a TXT file then saved the file as a PHP extension and uploaded it.
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by warmweer »

DBG1 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:12 pm Indeed used Windows Notepad. Copy and pasted the file from the link you gave into a TXT file then saved the file as a PHP extension and uploaded it.
Thought so ;-)

Read https://www.phpbb.com/support/docs/en/3 ... ise-phpbb/ (the section about Text editor programs) and download a free texteditor (even one with a trial period). You won't be using Windows notepad when editing phpBB files (BTW Notepad++ has nothing to do with Notepad, and is a good texteditor).
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
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DBG1
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

Thanks. I have Notepad++ so I used that and made a new file and it worked.

When I loaded it though it brought me to the login screen of the site where I had to login as a founder first. Then it gave me the screen to run it.

But when the site was completely crashed before I would not have been able to access the site's login screen because of the ERROR 500. So not sure that would have worked?

By the way, I still am trying to find a solution for the plugin I was trying to install on setting up a default avatar for new users who haven't set their own avatar. Should I start a separate thread about that question?
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by warmweer »

DBG1 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:48 pm By the way, I still am trying to find a solution for the plugin I was trying to install on setting up a default avatar for new users who haven't set their own avatar. Should I start a separate thread about that question?
I had a quick (uninformed) look at the extension and it mentions for 3.1.6 (only). It's quite large and I "think" it's dependent on php 5.6.
Best thing is to ask the author whether there's a chance this could be updated (frankly I doubt it).
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by 3Di »

DBG1 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 6:22 pm Thank you very very much!!!
...

Also, there seems to be this extension, but it looks to be of little use because it doesn't set a default avatar, only adds a bit more functionality once you have the default avatar set: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... _extended/
This one works without any problems :) , feel free to ask for support there.
Have also a look here (for phpBB 3.3.x) : https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... pic/212001
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by thecoalman »

DBG1 wrote: Tue Mar 23, 2021 5:30 pm You mean the Apache Server logs?

I went into cPanel > Errors and this is the last error within a few minutes:

ModSecurity: Warning. [Rule: 'REQUEST_COOKIES|!REQUEST_COOKIES:/__utm

There are no other fatal errors. Is there somewhere else I can look for errors?
If mod_security is preventing the site from loading you can usually disable it in Cpanel but be aware that fully disables it. Ideally you just disable the problematic rule however to disable just the rule you need access to WHM which is the control panel above Cpanel. You would need to contact host if you do not have access to WHM.
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DBG1
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by DBG1 »

Thank you all for your replies. I just want to make sure I am clear on a few points:

1 - The "Default Avatar 1.4" plug-in that crashed our site doesn't seem to be loading any default avatars, even though it has been installed and configured correctly now. I have disabled the extension for the time being. I guess it doesn't actually work on 3.3.0 boards? And so should I just remove it completely?

2 - Am I correct that in a crash situation where you can't even get a site to come up that there is no way to run the ext_disable.php script since it requires you to be able to login first as a site founder? On the disabling all extensions at once article here: https://www.phpbb.com/support/docs/en/3 ... s-at-once/ - it says that the script is designed for when you need to disable your extensions and you cannot access your board in any other way. And it says it does not require direct access to the ACP or the board. But I don't see how that is possible if it still requires you to authenticate yourself by logging in since it says it requires founder status to run?

3 - I successfully installed "Default Avatar Extended 1.2.2" and I see the style folder within the extension folder that I am supposed to copy over from the extension to our style, but I am not sure where I am supposed to copy and paste that folder to exactly? A file path would be helpful. I read the FAQ here, but I am still confused: https://www.phpbb.com/customise/db/exte ... d/faq/2621

Also, we are running prosilver_dark, but the Default Avatar Extended 1.2.2 extension didn't create a folder called prosilver_dark to copy over to the prosilver_dark style folder on our server.

I also saw a download available of this extension on the following link on GitHub, but I assume this is the same version and it isn't any newer than 1.2.2? https://github.com/3D-I/Default-Avatar-Extended

Lastly, is the avatar size limit in this extension 128x128? That would be too small for us unfortunately and so maybe we can't use it.

4 - Is there an updated version of the code edit on the link below that I could make instead of installing an extension for simply setting up a default avatar?

viewtopic.php?p=13070397#p13070397
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by stevemaury »

To the extent you are asking about specific extensions, to receive extension support please visit our Extensions Database and post in the specific extension's designated support area. The link to the support area for each released extension is also available in the first post of each released extension listed in the [3.2.x] Extension Database Releases forum. For extensions still in development (not recommended for a live board) support is in that extensions's topic in the Extensions in Development forum.
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Re: Site Crashed - HTTP ERROR 500 - Please Help

Post by warmweer »

DBG1 wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:27 am 2 - Am I correct that in a crash situation where you can't even get a site to come up that there is no way to run the ext_disable.php script since it requires you to be able to login first as a site founder? On the disabling all extensions at once article here: https://www.phpbb.com/support/docs/en/3 ... s-at-once/ - it says that the script is designed for when you need to disable your extensions and you cannot access your board in any other way. And it says it does not require direct access to the ACP or the board. But I don't see how that is possible if it still requires you to authenticate yourself by logging in since it says it requires founder status to run?
Usually it's a founder or an admin who installs extensions, and the problem occurs immediately after enabling an extension. In that case the founder or admin is logged in and won't be asked to log in.

As to the second part of your question: logically guessing (if that's possible), I think is just uses the login to create a valid session but doesn't attempt to load the whole phpBB backbones (and certainly not the extensions as that's the probable cause of the crash).
Spelling is freeware, which means you can use it for free.
On the other hand, it is not open source, which means you cannot change it or publish it in a modified form.


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