Page 1 of 2

500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2016 10:27 pm
by locojoe
I just updated from 1.7.(?) to 2.03.
Now when I click to Save or Preview an entry (new or old) after inserting a photo using the Media button I get a 500 error. I then have to clear my browsing history to be able to access my blog again.
I can Preview and Save entries fine as long as I haven't used the Media button to add an image.

It's something to do with the media window that pops up and not the image code it inserts into the entry. I can delete the image code and I'll still get the 500 error when I try to Save or Preview.

I can use the IMG and URL buttons without any problem.

It happens on 2 different instances of Serendipity that I am running.
I'm running Windows 10.
This happens in both Chrome and Firefox.

I've tried changing the "Enable use of popup windows for the backend" under personal settings but this doesn't help.

Thank you.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:39 am
by onli
That sounds like something that should be impossible.

When a 500 error happens, your webserver will write that error to its logfile. It is possible you need to ask your hoster to get the error message. I think it will be absolutely needed to have a chance to see what is happening here.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 8:29 pm
by locojoe
Would this be my CGI error log? Checking it I'm not seeing anything that looks related show up on it.

Just noticed that it's not just when I hit Preview or Save after inserting media via the Media button that I get the 500 error. Once I click the Done button in the pop up add media window, I can try to access my blog and I get the 500 error.

But I can still access my blog from a different browser.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:18 pm
by locojoe
After playing with it some more here is what I found.

Whether on a new entry or editing an entry, after clicking the "Done" button in the add media pop-up window, I can no longer access any part of my blog and get the 500 internal Server error. I don't even have to click "Save" or "Preview" on the entry. I can abort the entry and try to access my blog or try and go to somewhere else in the admin panel and I get the 500 error.

Have tried in different browsers, computers and even my phone and the same thing happens.

To be able to access my blog again after getting the 500 error I either have to clear my browsing history or add a character or number in front of my domain name i.e. 1.mydomain.com where normally it would be mydomain.com

If I try to add media using one browser and get the 500 error I can still access my blog via another browser (if I haven't tried to add media with that browser).

hope I'm making this clear.
Thank you.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 11:36 pm
by Don Chambers
I have encountered this problem a very long time ago. I encountered it when uploading media, not when inserting it into entries. The problem, if I remember correctly, was related to server memory allocated by my hosting provider... their standard shared server allocation simply wasn't enough. They boosted it and it solved the problem.

Are you on a shared server? If so, have you discussed this with your service provider?

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 11:32 am
by onli
If I try to add media using one browser and get the 500 error I can still access my blog via another browser (if I haven't tried to add media with that browser).
That sounds as if the cookie is causing this.

The ML popup is setting cookie values to remember which insert options were selected. It is possible that s9y is then dying later when trying to read that cookie. Still, that means that would be in the log.

I'm not sure if it would be in the CGI log. There should be a dedicated error log somewhere. Your hoster should be able to help you.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2016 3:16 pm
by locojoe
I probably didn't clarify... I can upload media fine.

Still trying to figure out what log the 500 error is being written to.

Thanks for the responses.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 2:35 pm
by locojoe
I can see i'm going to go round and round with my host trying to find where the error is written.

I sent in a support ticket asking where I could access the log that 500 errors are written to and they replied that they were able to access my website just fine and to clear my cache and cookies.

What onli says makes sense to me but I don't know what to do about it.
Any ideas I can try?

I temporarily re-installed version 1.7 and the problem disappears. I then installed 2.0 and the problem is there.

Thanks.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2016 3:23 pm
by onli
That is not an acceptable response from your hoster.
Any ideas I can try?
What I'd do now: Get another hoster and move your blog over, testwise. Uberspace.de and scaleway are two where it is is very easy to install serendipity, and both have a free first month. When you moved your blog over and the problem persists, is is sure that it is a s9y bug and you will find the error.log. If the problem disappears, the error is linked to your hoster in the first place.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 12:12 am
by locojoe
I wrote back to my host explaining that I am encountering the 500 error when using the admin interface of my blog so I need to know error details to trouble shoot.

Here is their reply..
"We are sorry for the inconvenience. Could you please get back to us with the exact URL where you are getting 500 error and admin login credentials. So that we can further assist you"

Obviously it's not that simple.

I would so hate to have to switch hosts. I've been happily running a couple instances of Serendipity for many years. I think it would be such a hassle to move. I'll keep playing around with it I guess and see if I come up with something..

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 1:44 am
by onli
Well, if they are really willing to debug that issue and you are willing to give them the credentials (you could give them a new account, if the problem occurs there as well), that's not a bad thing. It is just a really bad sign that they can't answer with something directly helpful like "the error log lies under logs/apache2/error.log in your home directory".

Note that trying to reproduce the issue on another hoster could help fixing it for your current hoster. It would not automatically mean to move your production blog over.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 3:16 am
by Don Chambers
Lack of specific error logs for this sort of thing in a shared server environment are not that uncommon in my experience. Let them try to recreate the problem.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:03 am
by locojoe
I installed a new instance of Serendipity 2.03 for testing and verified the problem was there and sent my host the log in info and instructions to duplicate the error. We'll see what they say.
Thanks.

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 3:25 pm
by locojoe
Here's the response I got from my host...

"I am sorry for the inconvenience this as cased you. I was unable to duplicate the issue. I was able to insert the image as well as could preview and save it. Please check it from your end after clearing the browser cache and cookies. "

I went and looked at the test blog and there was no new entry so they must have also deleted it. I wonder.

If this is true, I'm at a loss.

Anyone here want to see if they can duplicate it?

Re: 500 error after using Media button in entry

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 3:33 pm
by onli
Sure. You can send me the login data via a PM.