Koozali.org: home of the SME Server
Obsolete Releases => SME Server 8.x => Topic started by: dustyp on November 13, 2013, 12:52:59 PM
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I am not able to view any of my ibays for a couple of years, My primary domain www.pulver.co.uk (http://www.pulver.co.uk) is perfect, however (for instance) I have an ibay called music, but on going to www.pulver.co.uk/music (http://www.pulver.co.uk/music) receive the 404 message "The requested URL /music/ was not found on this server." This has worked for me in the past (on SME 7.0) but not on SME 8.x. Over the years, I have performed many unrecorded tweaks to my system, one of which has obviously broken it.
Can anybody suggest what I need to do/undo to get it working again, please.
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Cautious / Forensic:
Take a look in /var/log/httpd/error_log and find out what file is actually being requested, then look in /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf and figure out why.
Take a look at the output from /sbin/e-smith/audittools/newrpms and /sbin/e-smith/audittools/templates, and figure out why the ibay portions of /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf are not working as expected.
I have a box that behaves as you describe for one virtual domain because of a custom template I created to redirect a domain into /opt -- but the ibays still work if I access the same server using another hostname or using an IP address.
Wholesale / Drastic:
Backup to USB from the console / install SME 8.x on a new box / Restore the backup during setup / fix everything...
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Thanks for you swift reply which I can't immediately act on due to being taken into hospital a few days ago with a stroke.
However, I have previously run your Wholesale/Drastic fix which fixed nothing.
Will reply further when I return home and am not limited with a tablet.
I suspect that I will need to run a full format and re-installation if only I could backup and restore the users and emails only.
This would be a shame as the system has been up and running since 2001 since when my IQ has dropped by about 40 points.
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dustyp,
sorry to hear about you condition and hope you'll recover soon.
I understand that you want to have your Ibay issue up and running soon, But as mmccarn advised, the best thing to do is to examine the httpd and even the messages log files. If things don't work as expected, some of the log files will catch it, that's for sure.
guest
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I've decided that the best way to go is to wait for the next stable version to be released (9.0?) - currently running 8.1b2,
then wipe then entire disk and start again from scratch.
My only problem is that I will need to backup/reinstall all the emails. Is there any way to do only that?
- Dusty
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dustyp
V9.0 stable release is likely to be many months away. Progress is happening but it's slow, & a lot more testing is needed.
Note that upgrading from v8.x to v9.x will only be possible via the standard Backup & Restore (including reinstall of contribs), as Centos6.x (on which sme 9 is based) does not support direct upgrade from earlier versions.
You may want to resolve your issues sooner than that, as the current release (sme 8.0) is stable, & there is nothing in it that would be causing your problems.
There are many things (tweaks) you could have done that would be the cause of your problems. As you yourself do not even know what you have done to your server, then it is likely to be a big task for someone to hold your hand & help you look through all your settings & configuration etc looking for the problem(s).
You have to do that work yourself, & looking at the log files & reading the errors generated is the best approach.
If you do not understand sme server enough to go through this diagnostic exercise, then the "simplest" approach for you IS to do a selective backup & restore to a new install of sme server OS (eg sme 8.0 or 8.1).
There are steps oulined in the Howto titled Backup server config. Click on the Howto link at top of forums & start reading.
Depending how you have modified your server, any normal backup & restore is just going to transfer your existing configuration problems to the new server.
I suggest using the method referred to in the Howto & do a test run first on a test server & see how you go.
NOTE: If all your modifications had been done using the recommended method of creating custom templates, then getting a non functional server back to good operation would simply be a matter of deleting or removing all the custom templates, uninstalling contribs, running post upgrade & reboot. So in future learn about & use custom templates.
If you have tweaked conf files directly or tweaked the templates (rather than creating custom templates & tweaking those), then it is difficult to get your server back to "standard".
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Point made! I'll wait for 8.1 to be released as I'm currenly working with 8,1b2.
My problems started before I realised that there are proprer ways to do things in SME and just fiddled.
I believe that the server-manager should have direct links to the HowTos so they can't be missed. A hard link to the forums would be extremely handy, as well.
Can I assume that by backing up the users files I will have backed up the emails? and would I need to create the user and group files on the new clean server before I can restore the user files on it?
Thanks,
- Dusty
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dustyp
Can I assume that by backing up the users files I will have backed up the emails?
Yes, if you do the backup on the sme server (so it includes the Maildir folder for each user).
....and would I need to create the user and group files on the new clean server before I can restore the user files on it?
Yes, you should create those first & then restore the user data backup. They should be IDENTICAL on both servers.
Note that ibay data is in
/home/e-smith/files/ibays/ibayname/....
and user data including email is in
/home/e-smith/files/users/username/....
emails are in
/home/e-smith/files/users/username/Maildir/....
user home folder data is in
/home/e-smith/files/users/username/home/....
(replace ibayname & username with the actual names you use)
Please read the Howto & the Manual (re backup). it is all detailed there.
You have various optional ways of doing selective backup & restore.
Actually you can do a full backup using the standard sme backup to workstation (to local USB on the server), & then just do a selective restore of the user folders.
What you are doing is non standard, so I suggest you try a test run first with 2 users.
I believe that the server-manager should have direct links to the HowTos so they can't be missed. A hard link to the forums would be extremely handy, as well.
To make that happen, the first thing you do is go to bugzilla & lodge a New Feature Request (NFR). If the devs think it is a good idea then something may happen.
All the links are across the top of these forums (except Contribs), & on the main wiki page, but you at least need to make the effort to look.
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dustyp
I personally do not think you need to go to the extent of reinstalling & restoring user emails etc.
It's a big effort fraught with problems if you are unsure of what you are doing.
Easier I think to resolve the ibay no access problem.
If I browse to
http://217.146.113.153/music
it opens a "log in authentication window" asking for username & password, so access is possible.
You need to tell us what you have installed & whether you setup redirects etc etc, did you use the web redirect method as it is buggy & so on.
More info about your actual server is needed.
Where is the main web site, is it in the Primary ibay or in another ibay or maybe in /opt ?
Did you redirect the main domain URL to /opt ?
Knowing some of this may at least indicate where the issue may lie.
You really need to look at the messages and http access log files to see what is being called up when you try to access the music ibay by URL name.
That will give the best clue. Try accessing the site & then look in the log files around that same clock time.
This is probably relatively easy to fix, but you need to do the investigation & feed the answers back here.
We cannot read your log files
As previously asked, show us the output of
/sbin/e-smith/audittools/newrpms
and
/sbin/e-smith/audittools/templates
as these will be very informative.
Run these commands in a putty window & then use the icon in the top left corner (right click it) to copy all the screen contents into the clipboard, then paste into a post here.
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in a putty window & then use the icon in the top left corner (right click it) to copy all the screen contents into the clipboard.
:D :D perfect example why reading all posts elicits little gems like this, years of putty use and, in the aussie vernacular, bugger me, didn't know that :lol: :lol: :lol:
apologies for the highjack..
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TerryF
... and in the aussie vernacular,
No worries mate !
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OK, problem solved - mea culpa,
If I go to my ibay as http://pulver.co.uk/music (http://pulver.co.uk/music), it works as does http://217.146.113.153/music (http://217.146.113.153/music) (thanks for the hint janet)
However if I go to www.pulver.co.uk/music (http://www.pulver.co.uk/music), it doesn't. I didn't realise that www. is not required for an ibay even though it's a web page.
Thanks for everybody's help. Now on to write the web page....
- Dusty
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strangely, http://pulver.co.uk/music (http://pulver.co.uk/music) is no longer working, though if I address it by the ip number, http://217.146.113.153/music (http://217.146.113.153/music) it is. Off to look at the logs...
It was due to the servername not being the name of the server. All OK now.
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dustyp
I can confirm that all URL variants are working.
Now that proves a little troubleshooting was far easier than a server rebuild.
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Janet,
Many thanks for your help in solving this. It was impossible to figure out from a hospital bed using only an android tablet after suffering a stroke. Still, I'm at home now in my study alongside my server.
- Dusty Pulver
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dustyp
You can install the p-Term app or similar Putty ssh equivalent app on your portable device (it costs a few dollars), so then you have ssh access to any server you manage from just about anywhere there is an Internet/3G/4G/WiFi signal.
You might also go to a chemist shop or pharmacy & buy yourself some Dr Bach Rescue Remedy drops, to help you recover from the shock & trauma of your medical ordeal, & if you take it regularly you will most likely avert future attacks. It is safe & I highly recommend it.
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Janet,
I do all my administration via puTTY although the SSH client on my tablet is quite difficult to use.
You might also go to a chemist shop or pharmacy & buy yourself some Dr Bach Rescue Remedy drops, to help you recover from the shock & trauma of your medical ordeal, & if you take it regularly you will most likely avert future attacks. It is safe & I highly recommend it.
I doubt very much that a homeopathic treatment will stop me from having another stroke :(
from wikipeadia: The hypothesis that flower remedies are associated with effects beyond a placebo response is not supported by data from rigorous clinical trials.
Thanks for all your help and putting me on the right track,
- Dusty
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dustyp
I doubt very much that a homeopathic treatment will stop me from having another stroke :(
The hypothesis that flower remedies are associated with effects beyond a placebo response is not supported by data from rigorous clinical trials.
It's really OT for this Forum so apologies to readers, but I would like to make one response to (hopefully) set the record straight.
Firstly Bach Flower remedies are not homeopathic, instead they use the energy inherent in plants & flowers to positivise a persons emotional outlook thus allowing the body to heal itself. They are a unique form of treatment available in the world.
Secondly your choice of health treatment is a personal decision, my advice was just a suggestion for your consideration & wellbeing.
Thirdly I would not believe everything you read on wikipedia etc, as there is much wrong information & opinionated views published.
AFAIK any clinical trials have been far from rigorous.
The problem with quoting a negative reference to clinical studies that you have found on the Internet, is that there has been NO substantive clinical trial conducted on Bach Flower remedies, to the best of my knowledge.
Therefore a handful of very small observational trials & tests is then given high value, as that is the only main stream data available.
Such data is therefore quoted as being "gospel", & considered fully conclusive by casual readers or observers, or even more serious medical researchers.
Online literature even acknowledges it uses a small unreliable sampling (see below).
Far better in this case to read testimonials of practitioners & end users as that is a source of better information.
There are many Google search results you can read. The Dr Bach Centre in England is the best authority on the topic.
A thorough clinical trial that medical journals would accept for professional publication, would require the sponsor to provide funding in the order of millions of dollars, as is done by major drug companies when introducing a new drug for approval.
The low key Bach Centre in Oxford, England, who produce the stock remedies for supply to commercial distributors, does not have the financial resources to do this, so there is a catch 22 situation here, where even some doctors say there is no published data to substantiate the effectiveness of Bach Remedies so therefore other doctors conclude the remedies are not effective, just as you have done ! It's like someone who knows nothing about a subject, professing to be an expert on the subject.
I have 30 years experience prescribing Bach Remedies, & was trained by a person who had 15 years clinical experience prior to that, so I can attest to the effectiveness of the remedies when used for a wide range of medical, health & emotional issues. There are cases where the Bach Remedies were more effective than what the best specialists using the latest very expensive drug treatments could offer. Even children with attention deficit disorders responded very well, where medical treatment had failed them.
In the case of the specific Rescue Remedy combination, it has a well proven track record in practical usage & is ideally suited for situations involving shock, trauma, accidents, pain, grief, panic etc & is used for it's pre & post operative prophalactic & healing qualities. It is indeed the very thing I would reach for were I having a heart attack & using it could well avert a full blown attack. I have used it on many people in hospital, following surgery, with a resultant more rapid healing, compared to other patients with similar surgical procedures who were not taking the remedies. This has been commented upon & observed by the nurses attending to those patients on numerous occasions. Other patients personally unknown to me, even ask if they can have some of what the patient I am treating is having, as they observe the improved demeanor & more rapid healing in the person taking the remedies.
This is all a form of anecdotal evidence (albeit recorded in my treatment records) which is unfortunately treated as hearsay by the medical profession & medical publications & disbelievers.
Members of the British Royal family including the current Queen Elizabeth use Bach Flower remedies, I'm sure they are not stupid & being hoodwinked by false claims. Also I am aware of a number of medical doctors & dentists that prescribe/use Bach Flower remedies. Dr Oz the American TV show doctor also recommends them. So despite the "lack of published evidence", there is accepted wide spread usage around the world. There are thousands of other Bach Flower practitioners around the world (Naturopaths etc) who use these remedies successfully in their practices, a handful of whom I know personally. They cannot all be wrong & their patients would not tolerate ineffective treatments. Going back 10 years or so, the remedies were only available from Natural health product wholesale suppliers, but since then they have become commonly available in chemist shops or pharmacies, a strong sign of their acceptance by the general public. No shop will stock a product that does not sell, & people will not buy a product if it does not work, simple as that !
I can only say to you & others reading this, that the Dr Bach Flower Remedies & the Rescue Remedy combination work very well & are effective in achieving the claims made of them, & this belief is based on my own experience over the last 30 years of usage. Of course everyone is different & responses can very between individuals, such is the variability of human nature.
This is not theory, this is a recorded & scientifically observed cause & effect situation (ie interview, prescribe, observe & record response), which could be done by anybody with a little reading & training. It does indeed fit the rigours of scientific process & observation. This is a very valuable form of treatment provided to us by mother nature & one which we should not disregard or derride (due to lack of knowledge or personal perception), but instead encourage others to use, as one of the many tools available for the gradual healing of mankind. Those who can make use of the remedies in their own personal lives will be drawn towards them.
Here is a quote of some comments which I believe demonstrate the point(s) I am making (ie lack of trials, strength of available evidence is very low, most evidence is biased, effectiveness is unproven in two specific tests thus concluding ineffectiveness, and also no treatment risk):
"RESULTS: Four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and two additional retrospective, observational studies were identified and included in the review. Three RCTs of BFRs for students with examination anxiety, and one RCT of BFRs for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed no overall benefit in comparison to placebo. Due to the number and quality of the studies the strength of the evidence is low or very low. We did not find any controlled prospective studies regarding the efficacy of BFRs for pain. Only four of the six studies included for safety explicitly reported adverse events.
CONCLUSION: Most of the available evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of BFRs has a high risk of bias. We conclude that, based on the reported adverse events in these six trials, BFRs are probably safe. Few controlled prospective trials of BFRs for psychological problems and pain exist. Our analysis of the four controlled trials of BFRs for examination anxiety and ADHD indicates that there is no evidence of benefit compared with a placebo intervention."
Note: My personal experiences over a many year period differ significantly from those comments quoted above, & I find the remedies very effective in most cases.