Troubleshooting Joomla! problems - Joomladay Germany 2014

Troubleshooting
Joomla! Problems
(Have you tried turning it
OFF and ON again?)
Peter Martin, www.db8.nl. twitter: @pe7er
Joomladay.de – 12+13 september 2014

Overview Presentation
a)Introduction
b)Troubleshooting process
c)Extensions – in short
d)Ten common errors and questions
e)Some useful tools
f) Questions?
>>> Sheets via: www.db8.nl <<<
JJoooommllaaddaayy DDeeuuttsscchhllaanndd 22001144

1. Extensions, an introduction

b) Troubleshooting process

Parameters
Access Control List (ACL)
.htaccess Server overrides
3rd party extensions
Joomla extensions
Joomla files
Loadbalancer
MySQL database server
PHP (version!)
Webserver
Domain Name System
Firewall
Local Area Network
Virusscanner
Browser addons
Operating System (OS)
Operating System (OS)
Browser
Wide Area Network
Modem/Router
Joomla database
Server with website
Computer of website visitor
ISP
User
Keyboard
Chair
File/folder permissions

1. Make a backup first! (eg Akeeba)
2. Know difference between Components, Modules, Plugins,
Templates & Language files
3. Find the cause of the error:
● Reproduce the error with different parameters
● Change one parameter at a time & then test.
● Check all different “chains” & vary them “extremely”
4. Ask for help:
● Ask the right question in right forum & right subject title
● Give sufficient information, be concise & bullet lists
5. Be “Open Source” & report back!

c) Extensions – in short

c) Extensions – 5 types
Extending Joomla's functionality:
1.Components
2.Modules
3.Plugins
4.Templates
5. Language
Files

c) Extensions – Component
● Determines functionality of a page
– Multiple “Modi”: CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
– Only one component on a page
● Activation
– via URL + &option=com_componentname
● Example
– com_content

c) Extensions – Module
● Supportive, “Widget”, only display to screen (“Module Positie”)
– One mode (e.g. Read from database & Display)
– Multiple modules on a page
● Activation
– via menu item: URL + &Itemid=x
● Example
– mod_breadcrumbs

c) Extensions – Plugin
● Supportive. Works invisible in background.
– One mode: does one thing (e.g. search & replace)
– Multiple plugins at a time
● Activation
– via certain “events” (of “hooks”) in components
● Example Plugin
– Content - Email Cloaking

c) Extensions – Template
● Supportive. Does layout of website
– One mode (Display HTML with CSS & “Elements”)
– One template on a page, multiple possible
● Activation
– Default and assigned ones in parameter Menu Item
● Example
– Joomla 3.x default template “Protostar”

c) Extensions – Language Files
● Supportive. Translation for “system labels”
– One language at a time (on a page)
– Multiple possible→multilanguage website
● Activation
– Default & Language Overrides in database
● Example
/language/en-GB/en-GB.ini

c) Extensions – Working together
Joomla's search
functionality
C Processing
● Module (M)
– Search inputbox
● Component (C)
– Form
– Results
● Plugin (P)
– Articles
– Categories
– Contacts
C Form
C Results
M Form
P Search in
database table
P Search in
database table
P Search in
database table

d) 10 Common Errors & Questions

1. Blank Page

1. Error: “Blank Page”
● After Upgrade - blank page in the front and backend!
● Getting blank page when enabling the Search Engine
Friendly
● Why my site is blank page after moving to other server?
● Searching returns blank page!
● Blank page after admin login

Have you tried
turning it off
and on again?

1. Solution “Blank Page”
Blank page = PHP error & display errors = OFF
1. Joomla admin: System > Global Configuration > [Server]
> Error Reporting: Maximum
2. Increase PHP error level:
.htaccess
php_flag display_errors on
php_value error_reporting -1

2. Deprecated

2. Error: “Deprecated”
● Deprecated: Function eregi() is deprecated in
/home/public_html/includes/sef.php on line 393
● Deprecated: Function set_magic_quotes_runtime() is
deprecated in /var/www/libraries/phpmailer/phpmailer.php
on line 1218
● Deprecated: Assigning the return value of new by reference
is deprecated in
/var/www/modules/mod_exmenu-j15/exmenu/exmenu.class.
php on line 56
● Deprecated: Function split() is deprecated in
/var/www/libraries/phpmailer/phpmailer.php on line 470

I'm sorry,
are you from
the past?

2. Solution “Deprecated”
Error → Warning: “Some PHP function will not be
available anymore in next PHP version”
1.Get it fixed!
● Joomla?
Report in bugtracker
● 3rd party extension?
Contact developer with warning message
2.Hide warning
● In php.ini:
error_reporting = E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED
● In .htaccess:
php_flag display_errors off

3. Missing Class

3. Error: “Missing Class”
● Fatal error: Class 'JConfig' not found in
/var/www/includes/framework.php on line 56
● Fatal error: Class 'XMLReader' not found in
/libraries/cms/feed/factory.php on line 69
● Fatal error: Class 'ModMenuHelper' not found in
/joomla/administrator/modules/mod_menu/
tmpl/default_enabled.php on line 173
● Fatal error: Class 'JError' not found in
/public_html/includes/framework.php on line 42
● Fatal error: Class 'JMailHelper' not found

I am the head of IT
and I have it on
good authority that
if you type "Google" into Google,
you can break the Internet.

3. Solution “Missing Class”
1.Google the error
● Not too specific!
● Remove “unique text” like your own folder structure
2.Re-upload files
● get original Joomla full package from same version
● upload all files overwriting the ones on the server

4. Change did not work

4. Error: “Change did not work”
● I changed x but does not work
● Start Publishing does not work at all
● Show Title does not work
● Article changes not visible in front end
● Main menu not showing on Multilingual website
● Articles option not working in Joomla 2.5
● Articles not showing...!? How could this be?
● My site description not showing on google
● Images not visible in Category Blog
● Submenu items not visible anymore in J3.1.1?

Memory is RAM!

4. Solution “Change did not work”
1.Refresh (“hard refresh”: CTRL + F5)
2.Check with other browser
3.Empty browser cache
4.Empty Joomla's cache
5. Disable hosting server cache → via .htaccess
6.Switch off SEF URLs
7.Change parameters with “extreme” numbers
8.Check Template Overrides
9.Check Template for hardcoded stuff
10.Check ACL, Language etc

5. 404

5. Error: “Links give 404 error”
● Menus don't work
● Site does not work after move to other server
● 404 error for all article/site links
● 404 Error on All Links
● MAIN MENU 404 ERROR
● please help!!!! menu items give 404 error
● Menu item no longer working - returns with 404 error
● 404 errors on all links, front page of joomla fine
● Strange URL's in Joomla 2.5.9 URGENT HELP
● URGENT help error 404

What does
IT stand for?
What does it stand for?....
What doesn't it stand for?

5. Solution “Links give 404 error”
SEF = Search Engine Friendly
1.Apache:
rename htaccess.txt to .htaccess
2.Microsoft IIS7:
rename web.config.txt to web.config
3.Nginx:
put in virtual domain block:
location / {
index index.php index.html index.htm;
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?q=$request_uri;
}

6. Can't login

6. Error: “Can't login”
● I can't login to my admin panel
● Site Hacked and now locked out of admin
● Joomla 2.5 can't login to Admin or Site
● Cannot log in into /administrator back-end
● Can't login admin or user.
● Cannot Access Administration Page
● Cannot login to backend
● After move of site cannot login, loop
● Locked out of the Admin
● Super User Locked Out of Joomla 2.5

Hello
Hello Computer
Hello

6. Solution “Can't login”
● Use phpMyAdmin
– Reset password: new password + “Function” MD5,
after login → User Manager, New password!
– add new Super Admin + password, see:
http://docs.joomla.org/How_do_you_recover_or_reset_y
our_admin_password%3F
– check plugins in #__extensions:
plg_user_Joomla → enabled = 1 ?
plg_authentication_joomla → enabled = 1 ?
● Security extension? → ?token-after-url

7. Can't install

7. Error: “Can't install”
● Cannot install any templates, plugins, modules or
components
● Cannot install extensions on Joomla! 2.5
● Help - Can't install extensions, JFolder::files: Path is not a
folder.
● JInstaller::install: Failed to copy file
● Unable to Find Install Package
● Cannot install XYZ in Joomla on Hosting ZYX
● Joomla cannot install; JSON issue
● JInstaller::Install: Cannot find Joomla XML setup file
● Can't install extensions

7. Solution “Can't install”
● With specific Extension or all Extensions?
● Extension right Joomla version?
● Check Permissions
– Files 644, Folders 755
– System > System Information > Directory Permissions
● Check Ownership (FTP user vs Webserver)
– With FTP
● Check PHP File Upload & Upload Size
– file_uploads = ON, upload_max_filesize = e.g. 10M
● Check Disk Space
● Unzip in /tmp/ folder & “Install from Directory”?

8. How to remove?

8. Question: “How to remove XYZ”
● Changing the background color?
● How can I Remove the "Powered by XYZ"?
● How to change the colour of the article title text?
● Change logo?
● Beez3 header change?
● Possibility to change text color in article?
● Logo change position?
● Change module position beez20?
● Change H3 to another header in moduletable:
● Remove copyright info at the bottom?

8. Solution “How to remove XYZ”
● Analyze HTML/CSS with browser
– Google Chrome or FireFox + addons:
● Web Developer
● FireBug (or Google Chrome's Inspector)
● Module? Display Module Positions:
– Extensions > Template Manager > Preview Module Positions:
enabled
– URL + ?tp=1
● Template? Change template as test
● Plugin? Disable plugin as test
● Component or Module? HTML override?
● IDE (Netbeans, Eclipse, Firestorm)

9. The Need for Speed

9. Error: “Website slow”
● Why is my website so slow to load?
● Slow website! Is it my hosting?
● Website loading to slow
● Changes to web page slow to load
● My website is loading extremely slow
● Slow queries on large website
● Slow loading website (unstable performance)
● Very slow page loading (Waiting on fonts.googleapis.com)
● Trying to increase the speed of my website
● It's too slow

Have you tried
forcing
an unexpected
reboot?

9. Solution “Website slow”
● Analyse database queries
– Use Joomla's debug mode & check queries
● Analyze loading time
– Use Yslow (FireFox / Chrome browser addon)
analyse loading of website
● Compare with other hosting
– Backup (with Akeeba)
– Local webserver op PC (with XAMPP)
– Restore backup on local PC, test speed & compare

10. S1t3 G0t H@ck3d!

10. Error: “Site got hacked”
● Unwanted Advertiser Pop-up appearing on admin front end.
● I got hacked.... Cant reset superuser password
● Just got hacked, advice needed
● I just got hacked by xxxx -aarrgghh!
● Website got hacked by insert PHP code in all file
● Joomla site hacked
● Several sites compromised
● My site has been hacjed! please help
● Webhost malware scan deletes some files
● Got Hacked

Dear Sir stroke Madam
Fire, exclamation mark
Fire, exclamation mark
Help me, exclamation mark

10. Solution “Site got hacked”
● Do you have a back-up?
● Find the cause
– Did you keep all software up-to-date?
– Analyze server log files
– Search for similar hacks on shared hosting neighbors
– Outdated Joomla & extensions version?
– Weird files in /images/ ?
● SSH access?
– Search recent modified files
– Search for “eval(base64_decode”
● http://docs.joomla.org/Security_Checklist
– You have been hacked or defaced

e) Tools

e) Tools 1/3
Joomla
● Other Joomla site with example installation
● Joomla Debug mode
● Joomla SEF OFF -> full URL with all commands
● Joomla System Info
● PHP Information
● Directory Permissions (and or use FTP to analyze permissions
& owner/group)
● Admin Tools (3rd party Extension)
● Analyze & fix directory permissions
● Repair & optimize database tables

e) Tools 2/3
Server
● Webserver access & error logfiles
● PHP error logfile
● .htaccess
Database
● phpMyAdmin
Code (PHP, HTML, Language strings)
● IDE (e.g. NetBeans, Eclipse, FireStorm)

e) Tools 3/3
HTML Output
● Inspect HTML / CSS
● Google Chrome → Inspect Element
● FireFox + Firebug Addon
● Web Developer Addon (Chrome + FireFox)
● Yslow (Browser Addon)
Database
● Akeeba Backup
● XAMPP
● diff (GUI: Meld, WinMerge)

Questions?
● Presentation available at www.db8.nl
Peter Martin
e-mail: info at db8.nl
website: www.db8.nl
twitter: @pe7er

Used Photos 1/2
● IT Crowd © 2006-2010, Produced by Talkback Thames for Channel 4
Television Corporation.
● IT Crowd photos: http://spoilertv.co.uk
● power button - "gerard79" http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1009485
● Old Polish TV - Konrado Fedorczyko http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1187553
● Discarded - Therese Branton http://www.sxc.hu/photo/705372
● chains - Pablo Herrera http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1381655
● Motherboard 4 - Lisa Zanchi http://www.sxc.hu/photo/103914
● note paper - ilker http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1266532
● Roadside Assistance Required - jamie brelsford
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/603001

Used Photos 2/2
● Doodled desks 2 - "igoghost" http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1193228
● Tree of Change 1 - Kimberly Vohsen http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1077609
● _error - Alexandre Galant http://www.sxc.hu/photo/682383
● Lock - Robert Linder http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1395379
● tap joint - Asif Akbar http://www.sxc.hu/photo/864387
● claws - esra su http://www.sxc.hu/photo/206896
● Speedometer – Abdulhamid AlFadhly http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1390189
● Crowbar - Richard Dudley http://www.sxc.hu/photo/854266
● Tools - J Boontje http://www.sxc.hu/photo/805571
● signs signs - Jason Antony http://www.sxc.hu/photo/751034

Troubleshooting Joomla! problems - Joomladay Germany 2014

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