Tech Help

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Contents

What to do when you have a problem

If you have a problem, try the following:

  • read this wiki
  • Google
  • ask your fellow students for help
  • ask your tutor for help IN CLASS
  • ask William in Hire and Post
  • email lab@metroscreen.org.au Include your blog title plus any other relevant info (out of hours)


Common Problems



Permissions

  • Most WordPress directories allow you (the "owner") to read and write, but others are only allowed to read
  • The upload directory requires you, plus the "group" to read and write
  • The "group" includes the WordPress engine (ie, when you upload a file, the WordPress engine writes the file, not you)
  • So, the wp-content/upload directory, and all directories within this directory, must allow read AND write access to the owner (you) and the group (which includes the WordPress engine)
  • (for the tech-heads, directory permissions should be 775 (rwxrwxr-x), and not 755 (rwxr-xr-x))
  • This can be done via FTP

Recommended Permissions

All Files: 644

All Directories: 755

except

wp-content and all sub-directories: 775

wp-content files: 664

wp-config.php: 600

Note, wp-config.php needs to be writable when you first start the blog (eg 660), but once the first part of the blog creation has been done, set its permissions to 600 (or 751)

To change permissions throughout a directory: 

    find . -type f -print|grep wp-config.php|xargs chmod 600

OR 

    find . -type f -exec chmod XXX {} \;

Accessing Your Files

Access your files the following ways:

  • FTP metroword.com (using whatever FTP client you choose, altho I recommend FileZilla)
  • Connect using: 
   Host: metroword.com     Username: <initial><surname>     Password: <your password>     Port: <leave blank>
  • On the bottom right hand side of FileZilla, right click a file or folder
  • Select File permissions...
  • Change your permissions (generally you will need to add Write permissions to the group)
  • If you are changing Folder permissions, you have the option of recursing into all files and/or directories below the current folder


  • When at Metro Screen, try Finder -> Go -> Connect to Server "roseanna" (use your QNAP login)


Using Email on your Blog

Metroword.com has been setup to be able to send email without any setup. Use the following method if you want a bit more control over your email messages. And don't forget to check out other email plugins. To use email from within your blogs:

  • install the SMTP plugin
  • SMTP host = localhost
  • SMTP port = 50025
  • No to Authorisation and SSL/TLS

Alternatively, the SMTP plugin allows for a gmail email address to be used.


More Technical Stuff

  • Go to http://metroword.com/testinfo.php to find out PHP info
  • Add define('WP_TEMP_DIR', ABSPATH . 'wp-content/tmp'); to wp-config.php so that plugin upgrades work (and add the tmp dir with correct permissions)


More Things of Interest

There are a few things you do which make you hit the dreaded, white screen broken blog problem.

  • SITE URL - Changing the site URL via the DASHBOARD/General Settings does not work - DO NOT ATTEMPT
  • PLUG-INS - Most plugins happily work together but as they are all 3rd party developers a few will clash and bring the site down.FIX:
    • Simply log in with FileZilla to your FTP directory
    • rename the 'plugins' folder (in YOUR wp-content) to something like 'pluginstemp'
    • create a new folder called 'plugins' then try to get into your blog
    • If this works reactive each plug-in one at a time (by dragging them from pluginstemp to 'plugins'
  • THEMES - Sometimes a theme may be causing the problem. If you can't get into the admin panel you can again ftp into your site folder (wp-content/themes) and temporarily rename the theme you were last using to something else (so WordPress can't find it) - it will then look for the default one and possibly boot-up. (otherwise, a database fix is required)
  • CSS - As you know is a powerful way to configure the blog but it can also break it with a character in the wrong place (assuming you have been doing a few manual changes here and there). Again you can rename the theme folder or find a clean version of the theme and copy it into your wp-content/themes folder replacing the existing one (complete with a new CSS) - and don't do the same mistake
  • SETTINGS - Some plug-in settings can cause issues. eg requesting 500 feeds from twitter in 10 instances. This can cause your blog, along with everyone elses, to slow down
  • ACCIDENTS - If other people have access to your folder, then they could go in thinking it was their site and accidentally change a couple of things which breaks yours
  • DODGIE POST CODE - Again cut and pasting from other sites directly into the 'editing' window can bring in strange code that will break the WordPress loop - this will require going in and deleting the post (or editing it) directly into the database (tech assistance required)

New WordPress Page

   cp -r /share/Web/default to the new directory

edit wp-config.php

Create the Database

Set wp-config.php to writable Go to the site

  • Fill in the details

Reset wp-config.php Now edit /share/Web/customized.conf

  • Copy the nine lines
  • And make three changes

Restart Apache

  • /etc/init.d/Qthttpd.sh restart

Go to your new subdomain

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