Installer loops back from step 3 to step 1

[Bertozzi]

Hi,

 

after positively verifying the system requirements in http://doc.prestashop.com/display/PS16/System+Administrator+Guide, I've been trying to install Prestashop 1.6.0.9 on a LAMP system (Debian). The installer allows me to fill out the forms in step 1-3 ("Information about your shop"), then a click on "Continue" loops back to step 1; no errors are given.

 

I tried to download the installation archive again and verified the integrity of the ZIP file (unzip -t; "No errors detected"); after unpacking I got the same result: step 3 loops back to step 1.

 

Next I checked the troubleshooting section (http://doc.prestashop.com/display/PS16/Troubleshooting) which does not elaborate on installation issues.

 

According to http://doc.prestashop.com/display/PS16/Installing+PrestaShop+using+the+command-line+script, there is an alternative script available. However, install_cli.php fails as well when called from within ./install:

[Bertozzi]

Next approach: Downloaded older version 1.5.6.2, validated ZIP archive and unpacked it on the server. This time, the installer won't even continue past step 1: Checking to agree with the license terms, clicking on continue loops back to step 1.

 

Since this is a htaccess protected development environment, I changed the permissions aggressively to "wide open" (chmod -R 777 prestashop/) This did not change anything for the installer.

 

What do I have to do to run through this bloody installer?

[El Patron]

are you doing this on remote host or on your localhost?

 

if remote, do not upload zip file to remote an unpack but rather unpack and then ftp to remote. 

[benjamin utterback]

Next approach: Downloaded older version 1.5.6.2, validated ZIP archive and unpacked it on the server. This time, the installer won't even continue past step 1: Checking to agree with the license terms, clicking on continue loops back to step 1. Since this is a htaccess protected development environment, I changed the permissions aggressively to "wide open" (chmod -R 777 prestashop/) This did not change anything for the installer. What do I have to do to run through this bloody installer?

 

If you are unzipping, its recommended that you do not use 7zip. WinRar seems to be a good option. 

 

Who is your hosting provider? 

[Bertozzi]

As I wrote, no FTP. I'm connecting through SSH and am working on the shell with sudo/root access. This is a dedicated _remote_ server, so precise instructions about the required file/directory permissions might be helpful. The web- and the database server is hosted at OVH, but that really does not matter. These are LAMP root servers on Debian, they are agnostic to who hosts them.

 

7zip? WinRar? I do not use Windows. If unzip positively validates the ZIP archive, it unpacks excactly what is inside. If a ZIP archive depends on a proprietary unpacking mechanism, it is broken.

 

Maybe there is a debug setting or some kind of logfile for the installer where I could look up why it does not continue?

 

Regarding file permissions: http://doc.prestashop.com/display/PS16/Installing+PrestaShop suggests chmod 755, chmod 775, or chmod 777 (ugo=rwx). This is misleading as chmod does not work recursivy (that would be -R, --recursive), so I applied chmod -R 777 to the directories listed as "require recursive write permissions".

 

Generally it's recommended that the server file system should be configured so that the web server (e.g. Apache) does _not_ have permission to edit or write the files which it then executes. That is, all files should be 'read only' for the Apache process, and owned with write permissions by a separate user.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Bertozzi (see edit history)

[benjamin utterback]

As I wrote, no FTP. I'm connecting through SSH and am working on the shell with sudo/root access. This is a dedicated _remote_ server, so precise instructions about the required file/directory permissions might be helpful. The web- and the database server is hosted at OVH, but that really does not matter. These are LAMP root servers on Debian, they are agnostic to who hosts them.

 

7zip? WinRar? I do not use Windows. If unzip positively validates the ZIP archive, it unpacks excactly what is inside. If a ZIP archive depends on a proprietary unpacking mechanism, it is broken.

 

Maybe there is a debug setting or some kind of logfile for the installer where I could look up why it does not continue?

 

Regarding file permissions: http://doc.prestashop.com/display/PS16/Installing+PrestaShop suggests chmod 755, chmod 775, or chmod 777 (ugo=rwx). This is misleading as chmod does not work recursivy (that would be -R, --recursive), so I applied chmod -R 777 to the directories listed as "require recursive write permissions".

 

Generally it's recommended that the server file system should be configured so that the web server (e.g. Apache) does _not_ have permission to edit or write the files which it then executes. That is, all files should be 'read only' for the Apache process, and owned with write permissions by a separate user.

 

You could put on dev mode to check for any errors.

 

The file you need to change is in config/defines.inc.php around line 29 mode_dev=false. Change false to true, and try the installation again. 

[El Patron]

 

 

if remote, do not upload zip file to remote an unpack but rather unpack and then ftp to remote. 

 

again, this is recommended method, many fail by not following installation properly because they try other methods...

 

typically when done with sudo/root, and when create folder for installation, then owner is of root, not domain.  this is common mistake for webmaster.

[Bertozzi]

> You could put on dev mode to check for any errors.

 

Thanks, I'll try this!

Edited August 5, 2014 by Bertozzi (see edit history)