Troubleshooting

Joomla! Problems
(Have you tried turning it
OFF and ON again?)

Peter Martin
www.db8.nl
twitter: @pe7er

Overview Presentation
a)Introduction
b)Troubleshooting process
c) Extensions in short
d)Ten common errors and questions
e)Some useful tools
f) Questions?

>>>Sheetsvia:www.db8.nl<<<

1. Extensions, an introduction

1. Extensions, an introduction

b) Troubleshooting process

Domain Name System

Parameters

Wide Area Network

Access Control List (ACL)

.htaccess Server overrides

Modem/Router

3rd party extensions

Firewall

Joomla extensions

Local Area Network

Joomla files

Virusscanner

Joomla database

Browser addons
Browser
Operating System (OS)
Keyboard
Chair

File/folder permissions

Server with website

User

Computer of website visitor

ISP

b) Troubleshooting process

Loadbalancer
MySQL database server
PHP (version!)
Webserver
Operating System (OS)

b) Troubleshooting process
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 possiblemultilanguage website

Activation

Default & Language Overrides in database

Example
/language/en-GB/en-GB.ini

c) Extensions Working together

Joomla's search
functionality

M Form

Module (M)

C Form

Search inputbox

Component (C)

Form

Results

P Search in
database table
C Processing

Plugin (P)

Articles

Categories

Contacts

P Search in
database table
P Search in
database table

C Results

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_exmenuj15/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;
}

Menu item alias? check with SEF & URL rewrite OFF

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)

Analyse PHP code with IDE (Netbeans, Eclipse, Phpstorm)

Extension:

Module? Display Module Positions with URL + ?tp=1

(Extensions > Template Manager > Preview Module Positions: enabled)

Template (Override)? Test with other template,

or rename override folder /html/ & test again

Plugin? Disable plugin as test

Component or Module? HTML override?

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

Analyze loading time

Use Joomla's debug mode & check queries

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 or eval(base64_decode

note: can be hidden

NeoPi python script

http://docs.joomla.org/Security_Checklist

You have been hacked or defaced

e) Tools

e) Tools 1/3
Joomla

Compare with with other 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)

Database

PhpMyAdmin analyse & repair/optimize database

e) Tools 2/3
Server

Webserver access & error logfiles

PHP error logfile

.htaccess

SSH (Secure Shell) access to server

Analysis tools: NeoPi

Reproduce at other (local) server

Akeeba Backup backup database

XAMPP local web environment

e) Tools 3/3
HTML Output

Inspect HTML / CSS

Google Chrome Inspect Element

FireFox + Firebug Addon

Web Developer Addon (Chrome + FireFox)

Yslow (Browser Addon)

Code (PHP, HTML, Language strings)

IDE (e.g. NetBeans, PhpStorm, Eclipse)

Export database as SQL and put in project

Compare: 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