The G2 FAQ is now maintained at codex.gallery2.org
If you have a suggestion or comment on any of these FAQ entries, please post it. An entry that is RED means that it has been obsoleted in some way. Usually this is due to a change in gallery like a new feature, fix or unintentional side effect. Normally, these red entries will be followed by an Updated: entry that will let you know what has changed and perhaps some more information you might find useful.
Contents:
Q: When will Gallery 2 move from beta to final?
Q: I have a problem with something, what should I do?
Q: What about the warning for missing & modified files in the installer?
Q: I really wish this feature were part of G2, is it planned?
Q: How do I get the latest G2 source?
Q: Should I use nightly builds or CVS?
Q: Once I have G2, where do I begin?
Q: Does G2 have any special requirements?
Q: Does gallery remote work with G2?
Q: Can I update from G1 -> G2?
Q: How do I update my CVS version of G2 without losing my images?
Q: How can I "zap" my G2 data? How do I easily clear out /g2data and the DB?
Q: I am having trouble configuring a graphics toolkit (ImageMagick, NetPBM or ffmpeg). Help?
Q: Where can I find NetPBM, jhead or ImageMagick binaries to use with G2?
Q: Where can I find unzip / zip binaries to use with the zip cart module?
Q: How can I integrate G2 into my website?
Q: I customized a *.tpl file, but then removed it... but the customization is still showing up. Did I do something wrong?
Q: I changed the language but nothing happens, what's wrong?
Q: Where I should see dates I see "Wrong charset, cannot convert" or "Illegal character encoding" or "Illegal recode request".. what is wrong?
Q: I use NFS and gallery isn't working, is there a solution?
Q: Is it my imagination, or is G2 slower than G1?
Q: When I upload an image, G2 doesn't seem to create sized images or thumbnails... also, when I enter an album for the first time it takes a LONG time to load. What is the deal, yo?
Q: Why does the random image or random highlight not obey permissions? How come some of my images in private albums are shown?
Q: Does G2 work with Safe Mode PHP?
Q: I use apache's mod_layout and notice some odd error messages, what is the problem?
Q: I have some experience in linux compiling and noticed some make files and other things that would appear to need compiling... do I need to?
Q: I get lots of "Warning: exec(): Unable to fork [cmd /c ...]" at the module's step in the installer for G2 (on the ImageMagick module) under Windows/IIS. Now what?
Q: Something looks funny in IE6?
Q: Why do I see stray NetPBM and cmd.exe processes that never go away on my windows server?
Q: Why can't I install with MySQL 4.1 or higher?
Q: I get an error about "max key length" installing with MySQL?
Q: I seem to be running into some sort of MySQL query limit, is there anything that can be done?
Q: I would love to write some modules, got anything useful for me?
Q: How can I move my gallery installation from one server to another?
Q: How can I move my gallery installation from one folder to another?
Q: Can I rename main.php? Can I install if my server only allows .php4 extension for php files?
Q: When will Gallery 2 move from beta to final?
A: When the developers feel it is ready; of course they hope it is sooner rather than later. Unlike many closed source / non-free applications (and some open source / free), Gallery 2 will only be released to the next stage when the developers feel it has the stability and features that are required. Insert more feel good statements here 
Q: I have a problem with something, what should I do?
A: To start with, updating to the latest code is a good idea. It is possible that it is already fixed. Next you should probably look around the forums to see if the problem has already been posted. If that doesn't help, post in this forum with your G2/PHP/database/OS/webserver/browser types and versions, a description of the problem (and the steps to reproduce if it may be a bug), and the relevant error message and debug output. For problems in the installer the debug output should be displayed.. post the error message at the top and look for the error near the bottom of the debug output. For errors while using G2 you'll need to turn on buffered debug output in config.php and then look near the bottom of the output for your error message. If you're unsure where the error message is you may post a link to the entire debug output, but please don't post the entire thing. Getting the error message from debug output is particularly important for ERROR_STORAGE_FAILURE errors, as this is the only way to get the detailed error message from the database.
Q: What about the warning for missing & modified files in the installer?
A: If there is a warning for missing or modified files in the installer or upgrader, you should take it seriously. Neither the install or upgrade process nor G2 as an application can work correctly with missing or modified files.
Upload the modified / missing files again to your server until the warnings disappear.
Don't use winzip to extract the files from gallery2.zip. And OS X users should make sure they use a good program to extract gallery2.zip or gallery2.tar.gz, there are reported issues.
If you are a cvs user, a warning for missing or modified files in the installer / upgrader systemcheck step is the norm. But if you experience any problems, this is surely one of the first places you should look into.
Q: I really wish this feature were part of G2, is it planned?
A: It is possible that it is planned. See this list of requested features. Also see the feature request section on sourceforge. If you don't see your idea listed you can file a feature request on sourceforge and/or start a discussion about your idea in the G2 Development forum. If you do see your idea listed it may still be a long time before it gets implemented so if you or someone you know can help out with development, please do!
Q: How do I get the latest G2 source?
A: There are two ways of keeping current, using CVS or using nightly builds. Chetan Sarva and Jesse Mullan both offer nightly builds. The instructions for using CVS can be found here. You can also find instructions for using WinCVS here.
Q: Should I use nightly builds or CVS?
A: That is up to you, I would suggest CVS if you are comfortable working with it or don't mind learning. Once you get the original source from CVS, updating is as simple as going to your G2 directory and typing "cvs -z3 update -Pd" (-P prunes empty dirs and -d deletes files that were removed). There are a couple other options you can use if you wish.
# cd /path/to/gallery2/
# cvs -z3 update -Pd
Q: Once I have G2, where do I begin?
A: The BEST place to start is /gallery2/README.html. If you wish to jump ahead and start the install, you can point your browser at /gallery2/install/ instead. If it's your first time, you will need to visit the README.html in order to find database setup instructions.
Q: Does G2 have any special requirements?
A: Gallery 2 requires many of the same things that G1 required. A web server, php and some graphics manipulation programs. You probably already know these things... but there is ONE new requirement: a database. Right now, there is support for MySQL 3,4, PostgreSQL and Oracle 9/10. Of course, the other requirements are a web server (apache, iis, zeus?), php (4 or 5) and some graphics manipulation packages (netpbm, imagemagik, ffmpeg, gd). Space for the images is probably one of the more obvious requirements
Q: Does gallery remote work with G2?
A: It would appear it does, point gallery remote at the base url of your gallery. For instance, I would point it to "http://fryfrog.com/gallery2/"
Q: Can I update from G1 -> G2?
A: First things first. You should not plan on G2 replacing your G1 just yet. There are a few reasons, keep reading the FAQ if you want to know why. That said, G2 includes migration tools that will import all your G1 images to G2. This means G2 should be installed SEPERATLY from G1. On my server, G2 is installed in /gallery2 and G1 is in /gallery.
Q: How do I update my CVS version of G2 without losing my images?
A: See /gallery2/README.html for general instructions. Starting with alpha-4 upgrades are supported (you may not be able to upgrade from previous alphas however).. the basic process is to overwrite the codebase with the new code, then visit your gallery. You'll automatically see the upgrader if a core upgrade is required. If you don't see the upgrader then login as an administrator and visit Site Admin / Modules to see if any other modules need to be upgraded.
Q: How can I "zap" my G2 data? How do I easily clear out /g2data and the DB?
A: You can visit the test tools page found at /gallery2/lib/tools/test/ and run the test titled "ResetGallery" or "ReInitializeGallery". You can read the description to see what each does, one is just a little more clearing than the other. If you have manually dropped your DB or some of the files are not deletable by you (for instance, they are owned by the webserver's user) you might find Bharat's Cleanup Script useful. The installer also has a "clean install" option to overwrite existing DB/g2data with a new install.
Q: I am having trouble configuring a graphics toolkit (ImageMagick, NetPBM or ffmpeg). Help?
A: First- when the configuration asks for the path it is not asking for the path to the gallery2 module (like gallery2/modules/imagemagick). These directories are G2's interfaces to these programs and not the programs themselves. You need to find or install the binaries on your system, make sure they are executable, and enter the appropriate path in the configuration.
Q: Where can I find NetPBM, jhead or ImageMagick binaries to use with G2?
A: You can find links to NetPBM and jhead on the Gallery Download Page. You might also find Image Magick binaries here
Q: Where can I find unzip / zip binaries to use with the zip cart module?
A: You can find them here, but keep in mind this is a 3rd party site not under Gallery's control.
Q: How can I integrate G2 into my website?
A: For basic integration see templates/global.tpl included with G2. Here you can add any html for your website header/sidebar/footer, etc. To include php code in this file wrap the code in {php} and {/php} tags (see http://smarty.php.net/). For application level integration (embedded G2) see the Embedding & Integration topic in the G2 Development forum and docs/EMBEDDING included with G2. Also see the Customization Guide (sticky topic in G2 customization forum).
Q: I customized a *.tpl file, but then removed it... but the customization is still showing up. Did I do something wrong?
A: If you remove a local/*.tpl or *.tpl.local file it won't switch back to the *.tpl file due to smarty caching. You can get it to switch back to *.tpl by using the FlushTemplates task in Site Admin/Maintenance, clearing the smarty cache manually on the filesystem, or by doing 'touch filename.tpl' which causes the last change time to update.
Q: I changed the language but nothing happens, what's wrong?
A: G2 depends on the system it runs on to switch to other languages than English. G2 needs php with gettext support and each language you want to switch to in G2 needs to be installed on your system.
If you have command line access (ssh / telnet) to the (unix, linux) server, you can query for supported languages by `locale -a`. If only "C/POSIX" is returned, no other languages are supported and you need to reconfigure the locales and then restart apache.
When configuring locales on your system, choose languages in ISO format, e.g. de_DE and not languages in UTF8 format, e.g. de_DE.utf8.
Q: Where I should see dates I see "Wrong charset, cannot convert" or "Illegal character encoding" or "Illegal recode request".. what is wrong?
A: Some operating systems report invalid character sets to PHP leading to errors when trying to convert system-generated content (like day/month names in dates) to UTF-8. Work around this problem by placing the following in config.php:
require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/modules/core/classes/GalleryCapabilities.class');
GalleryCapabilities::set('systemCharset', 'ISO-8859-1');Replace 'ISO-8859-1' with the appropriate character set for your system.
Q: I use NFS and gallery isn't working, is there a solution?
A: Gallery 2 offers file(flock) and database based locking systems.. flock is known to not work over NFS. The installer should pick the right lock system for your setup, but you can verify/change the setting in Site Admin / General.
Q: Is it my imagination, or is G2 slower than G1?
A: You're probably not imagining it. There are three main areas where Gallery 2 is going to be slower.
- Gallery 2 uses a database for its storage. This means that even the most trivial operations require communication with the database to get ansers. In comparison, Gallery 1 stores everything in fairly small flat files and it loads all the data into memory and then operates on it. For small Gallery installations on hardware that is 3+ years old, you're going to find that Gallery 1 runs a fair bit faster. However, Gallery 1 will not scale as effectively so as you start to get up to having 5-10K photos, you'll find that Gallery 2 is much more efficient. Having a database also allows other applications to interact with Gallery data, which is a big advantage over Gallery 1's proprietary data format.
- Gallery 2 provides complete image security. If you restrict a photo based on its permissions, no outsider can get to it. This is in contrast to Gallery 1 that merely creates urls to images that an outsider could browse to, if he or she knew the url. However, this security comes at a performance cost. We are considering different approaches, including the possibility of allowing you to lower or remove this security threshold to increase your performance.
- G2 is a much larger framework than G1. It's designed to be incredibly flexible and maintainable. This leads to having a lot more code and because of the nature of PHP, this causes pages to load a little slower. However, this also means that PHP accelerators like ionCube PHPA, Turcke MMCache, eaccelerator and Pear::APC, and Zend Accelerator (commercial) can effect very substantial performance increases when properly used in conjunction with G2. We recommend this option, if it's available to you (i.e. if you have full control over the php installation on your server).
Performance is an important factor to us. We have introduced caches at strategic places and are working on ways to improve all of the issues above to increase performance. It is secondary to making a fully featured product for now, but as we get closer to the official release date it will gain higher priority for the development team.
Q: When I upload an image, G2 doesn't seem to create sized images or thumbnails... also, when I enter an album for the first time it takes a LONG time to load. What is the deal, yo?
A: G2 has some fundamental differences from G1. In G1, thumbs and sized images were created at image upload. In G2, these items are not created UNTIL they are accessed/needed. This means that the first time you view a sized image or album, it may take a while for the images to be generated. Of course, subsequent visits should be much faster because they already exist. I believe there are also plans for the ability to generate the needed images at upload or when ever the user wishes, independant of viewing them for the first time.
Update: There is now a check box present during import and upload that allows for the generation of thumbs/sized images right then. Using this will increase the time it takes to upload/migrate, but will take care of it immediately instead of when a user first requests the image.
Q: Why does the random image or random highlight not obey permissions? How come some of my images in private albums are shown?
A: Permissions are handled on an item by item bases, not an album by album basis. Just because "album01" is private, doesn't mean that "album01/album02/image3" is also private. This is by design and intentional, BUT the problem is in the interface which does not mention or explain this in any way. You can find the bug report here if you would like a better / different description.
Q: Does G2 work with Safe Mode PHP?
A: Gallery is NOT designed to work with safe mode. You can see the sticky thread in the G2 development forum for an in depth discussion. Also see this topic for details of some experiments in getting G2 to work with safe mode. To sum it up, they are going to get G2 working first. If it works in safe mode, or can be modified easily to work in safe mode... they may.
If you are trying to disable safe mode in a .htaccess file make sure you use:
php_admin_flag safe_mode off
and NOT:
php_admin_value safe_mode off
Q: I use apache's mod_layout and notice some odd error messages, what is the problem?
A: If you use mod_layout with Apache, make sure it is disabled for gallery files. Gallery sometimes sends binary data back from a php file, so adding a header or footer to these requests will corrupt the data! Adding the following lines to your apache config file or your .htaccess should fix it.
# Disable layout header and footer for Gallery2
LayoutIgnoreHeaderURI /path/to/gallery2/*.*
LayoutIgnoreFooterURI /path/to/gallery2/*.*
# PHP Gallery2 overide Layout
<Directory /path/to/gallery2/>
LayoutHeaderOff
LayoutFooterOff
</Directory>
Q: I have some experience in linux compiling and noticed some make files and other things that would appear to need compiling... do I need to?
A: The Makefiles are only needed by gallery2 module developers. If you are just using G2, you don't need to "make" anything. For developers, the Makefiles automate boring tasks such as: 1) generate compiled translation files (.mo) from source language files (.po), 2) generate database schemas from entity definitions, 3) generate interfaces to access members of entities.
Q: I get lots of "Warning: exec(): Unable to fork [cmd /c ...]" at the module's step in the installer for G2 (on the ImageMagick module) under Windows/IIS. Now what?
A: You need to give permissions for IIS to be able to read and execute the command interpreter ("cmd.exe"). Without it, Gallery won't be able to call external executables (like ImageMagick). Required steps:
1. Open a cmd-prompt with "Start", "Execute", then type "cmd.exe". Hit ENTER.
2. At the prompt, type:
C:\> cacls %COMSPEC% /E /G %COMPUTERNAME%\IUSR_%COMPUTERNAME%:R
This adds the "read" permission to the IIS-user for the cmd.exe. Close the prompt and then try activating the imagemagick module again.
Q: Something looks funny in IE6?
A: A while back we removed a standards compliance patch for IE (caused more problems than it solved) and may not have resolved all rendering issues in IE. You should be able to figure out if it is an IE6 issue by viewing your site in something like Mozilla Firefox. If it works in Firefox but not IE6, its due to the code not yet being optimized for IE6.
Q: Why do I see stray NetPBM and cmd.exe processes that never go away on my windows server?
A: If NetPBM is given a file that it can't support, it may try to put up a dialog box telling you about the error before continuing. Since your server can't display those error boxes, the rest of the image processing operations wait for you to click an "OK" button that you can't see. This may also result in G2 hanging for 30 seconds since it is waiting for the image processing to complete also. ImageMagick does not appear to have this problem.
Q: Why can't I install with MySQL 4.1 or higher?
A: If the installer gives you an error like "Client does not support authentication protocol" then the MySQL support builtin to your PHP is using an older password scheme than your MySQL database. See http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/old-client.html for more information and a workaround to get you up and running without having to recompile or upgrade your PHP.
Q: I get an error about "max key length" installing with MySQL?
A: If you see this error while installing the Core module: Specified key was too long; max key length is 1000 bytes then you need to switch the database character set to something other than utf8. Currently some indexes we use exceed this default MySQL limit if the charset is utf8.
Q: I seem to be running into some sort of MySQL query limit, is there anything that can be done?
A: Some hosts setup a query limit on your MySQL database. This is usually a per hour limit and would be restored in time. Floridave believes that a reasonable value for this would be 50-70k, but some hosts might set it as low as 10k. See if your host will bump it up a little bit perhaps.
Q: I would love to write some modules, got anything useful for me?
A: Start with G2 Developer Starter Kit. There you will find reference to how our team works and where to find the needed documentation. First link there is the G2 Developers Guide which is a must-read before you start. Not every detail is described there yet and some stuff is outdated, but there you will get the general "feeling" on how and why our architecture is how it is. The API for all classes is self-documented with phpdoc in the code, which is extracted to the G2 API Documentation (last link in the Starter Kit).
If you are on Windows and have trouble with the Makefiles to generate stuff for you, have a look at virshu's howto Building Gallery 2 on Windows.
Q: How can I move my gallery installation from one server to another?
A: Here's a step by step guide:
0. Backup your installation!
1. Upgrade G2 on the old server to the same G2 version which you plan to install on the new server.
2. Deactivate the url rewrite module if it is active.
3. Backup G2 on your old host = backup the database and the g2data folder.
4. Copy the g2data folder and import the mysql database to your new host.
5. Install the gallery2 codebase (extract gallery2.tar.gz/zip) on the new host. It should be the same G2 version as you last used on the old host (that's why you did the upgrade in step 1.).
6. Have your webhosting partner change the owner of the g2data dir recursively to the webserver user, unless php cgi + suexec is used. If you don't understand this instruction, forward it directly to your webhosting partner. The webhost has to do this only once, I'm sure they will do it.
7. I guess I wouldn't copy the config.php from the old host to the new host. Just run the installer, i.e. browse to newhost/gallery/install/. Make sure you choose "reuse existing database tables" in the database step. Point the installer in the appropriate step to the g2data folder (which is now not empty). And finish the installer.
If you choose to copy the config.php instead of running the installer (I'd really just run the installer, but if you insist...), you have to manually change:
- the g2data path, - galleryId (at the bottom of config.php), - db name/user if needed
8. Go to G2 Site Admin and change all paths if needed. imagemagick, zip, netpbm, ... all modules that depend on external programs have to be tested and reconfigured. Make also sure that the mail function of G2 works on the new host.
Q: How can I move my gallery installation from one folder to another?
A: Here's a step by step guide:
1. Deactivate and uninstall the url rewrite module if it's activate.
2. Move the gallery folder (rename / move it with an ftp application, a file browser or with a shell).
If you choose to move gallery from a subdirectory to the root of your website, just move all files and directories that are directly in the gallery folder to the web root directory.
3. Edit config.php manually:
- Update the line $gallery->setConfig('data.gallery.base', 'some/path'); if the g2data was within the gallery directory and you moved it.
- Update the line $gallery->setConfig('galleryId', 'domain.com/path'); to match the new path.
- save config.php, you're done.
Contact us in the G2 Development forum if you are having problems or need help.
Q: Can I rename main.php? Can I install if my server only allows .php4 extension for php files?
A: To use a different main php file after G2 is installed follow these steps:
- Copy or symlink main.php to the new filename.
- Add a line like this in config.php before the ?> at the end:
define('GALLERY_MAIN_PHP', 'filename.php');
If your system does not accept ".php" as an extension for PHP files and requires ".php4" then rename install/index.php to install/index.php4 and proceed with the install. After installation follow the steps above to change main.php to main.php4. Note that upgrading is not yet supported with .php4 extension, so post in the forums if you have a setup like this so we get this completed!
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Posted: Tue, 2004-10-05 01:05
Posts: 8601
YAY fryfrog!
Posts: 32509
thanks!
Posts: 8601
Suggestions:
1) number them for easy reference
2) first Q: just say "latest code" rather than CVS (since anon CVS and nightly builds are both options, and you describe them both in the next Q)
3) first Q: "turn on debugging" --> "turn on buffered debug output in config.php".. there are further instructions in config.php, but we should point people to that file.
4) first Q: also mention: if your error is in the "Install Core Module" step of the Installer post the error message at the very top, but ignore any error at the top of the debug output and look for further detail about the error closer to the bottom of the debug output. (there is always an error at the top of the debug output, and sometimes people post that thinking it is the cause of their problem.. it isn't..)
5) I'd just list the -Pd cvs update command.. don't want people missing new dirs.
6) specifically mention not to include "main.php" in the gallery remote url..
7) thank you for explaining the no-g2-upgrade policy.. but, since most cvs updates will actually still work ok you might mention that an update may require you to drop your db and data dir.. and that if you encounter any errors after an update you must drop your db/data dir and reinstall with the current code and see if the problem still exists before reporting a problem here (to ensure the problem isn't related to old db/data with new code).
8 ) safe mode: please state that G2 does not support safe mode, but you may put in a link to the topic where a user experimented with G2 hacks to allow it to "work".
9) the php_admin_value thing is for the case where safe_mode is enabled globally, but disabled locally
nice work, this is a great start!
Posts: 314
I know I asked that before, but I am still confused. And since it got into FAQs - I'll throw it again. The instructions about CVS stop at getting the code. Most of the code is PHP - so there aren't additional steps required. However, some are XML that need Saxon to get converted to SQL statements; there are also quite a few makefiles. Would be nice to have in FAQs (or in the Wiki) describe what are the prerequisites (Saxon, Perl); what are the steps (eg., is there a single makefile that you can make that includes all the other makefile); and what needs to be changed for specific environment (eg., saxon.jar is assumed to be in /usr/local/share/java/classes/saxon.jar; your location may be different).
There is also a common question (could be part of one of existing FAQs) - is there a simple way to re-initialize the gallery while it is in alpha? In other words re-initialize script is a well-kept secret :wink: and I don't it should be.
EDIT: I just noticed rebuild-modules.sh script that answers one of the questions...
Posts: 8601
virshu, the makefile stuff belongs in developer documentation.. I assume our FAQ is more enduser oriented, right?
Posts: 314
you are right; however if enduser "is comfortable working with CVS or doesn't mind learning" she will get stuff from CVS. So, my point is that there is additional step between getting stuff from CVS and running install - even if the end user doesn't plan to modify the code! And the instruction for this step are missing in FAQs; and since it's PHP, and there is no compile neccessary - it is easy to assume that you can run install on the code that you downloaded.
And, besides, I think that the the line between developers and endusers that download alpha version of software from CVS is blurred, anyway :D
And another "besides" - I didn't see such instructions in developer docs, either.
Posts: 7994
virshu, there are no extra steps required to install G2 from CVS. It's just like any other prepacked install. You don't need need to prepare it in any way -- it's ready to install and use. You can do a "cvs checkout" of the latest code into a new directory, then browse right to the installer and start the install process.
Can you tell us why you thought that this was not possible? Perhaps there were some issues when you tried to do this?
Posts: 8601
so, I think the FAQ is:
Q: I see GNUmakefile files in some of the directories.. do I need to "make" (compile) Gallery2?
A: No
Posts: 8601
another potential FAQ.. regarding deleting g2data dir, maybe a pointer to Bharat's cleanup script
Posts: 328
Another potential FAQ, fryfrog:
Q: I get lots of "Warning: exec(): Unable to fork [cmd /c ...]" at the module's step in the installer for G2 (on the ImageMagick module) under Windows/IIS. Now what?
A: You need to give permissions for IIS to be able to read and execute the command interpreter ("cmd.exe"). Without it, Gallery won't be able to call external executables (like ImageMagick). Required steps:
1. Open a cmd-prompt with "Start", "Execute", then type "cmd.exe". Hit ENTER.
2. At the prompt, type:
C:\> cacls %COMSPEC% /E /G %COMPUTERNAME%\IUSR_%COMPUTERNAME%:R
This adds the "read" permission to the IIS-user for the cmd.exe.
Close the prompt and then try activating the imagemagick module again.
Posts: 3474
The exec()/Unable to fork IIS error is currently in the G1 FAQ. It will be worthwhile to go through the G1 FAQ and flag existing questions that will be relevant for G2 as well.
-Beckett (
)
Posts: 314
When I checked out from CVS I could swear that there were no SQL files in DatabaseStorage/schema/platform/mysql directories. I was probably wrong - I see that all SQLs are there now. I also saw the message in SQL files that I downloaded from nightly build - this file was automatically generated from an XSL template; so I assumed that if I get sources via CVS, I'll have to generate these SQL files. Anyway, I think mindless' FAQ ("do I need to "make" (compile) Gallery2" - No) answers it all.
And a question "how to build Gallery2" is then more applicable to developers that want to create a new module or change the schema for some reason.
Posts: 3236
I think I've implemented all of the suggestions so far with one exception. I have not numbered them. The reason for this is fairly simple... as I add new items, I would like to group them together logically. If I number them, I would either have to add each new item to the end (illogical, akward to read related items) OR renumber them each time.
Both options (to me) are not very practical, so I'll leave them un-numbered. Of course, when there is a real FAQ-O-MATIC like exists for G1, numbering/grouping will be perfect, since the system is already in place, catagorized and easily maintained
Posts: 3236
Added something about G2 being slower than G1, pertaining to both the image generation at first view and the future optomizations.
Posts: 54
I didn't find the resized images in the gallery data directory (just the full size images) so they are generated on-the-fly, eh?
It's slow.
Posts: 32509
The resized images (derivatives) are generated the first time they are needed that is, the first time you browse to a page that shows these resized images.
They are stored in the gallery2data/cache/derivative directory tree.
So the first time it will take a little bit longer because G2 has to create the resized images on the fly, all successive requests will be faster (but not as fast as G1, for now).
Posts: 3236
Could these two questions be clearer? I am trying to get accross the point that YES, the first view of thumbnails OR sized images WILL be slow due to being generated right then, but subsequent loads will be faster because they are cached. Any suggestions on clarification are welcome
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take out "easily" :P
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fryfrog, here's a FAQ entry to add:
http://gallery.menalto.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=100110
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curious, what's the reason for this one?
also, both sample paths have "galler2" instead of "gallery2"
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Oh, I could have sworn I read about that in a post or two. Is it not the case? If its not, it should definatly be removed
I"ll fix the typo for now.
Edit: I made that one RED!
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I think it's just with gallery remote that you can't include main.php in the url. An url you give to your browser will work fine with main.php (index.php just redirects you to main.php anyway). (see item 6 in my post from 5-Oct)
Please also recheck item 4 in my 5-Oct post.. I don't see this included yet, but maybe I missed it.
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I've added a blurb about NFS not working
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please add this entry:
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but change the paths in there to /path/to/gallery2
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thx, done.
and we could delete all unnecessary posts in the FAQ thread.
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or just unsticky this thread and create a new sticky thread.
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I don't see any reason to create a new thread or delete posts. As long as it is obvious what has been added up to that point, I would think keeping everything located in one place would be useful. It lets anyone reading the FAQ see the progression, submit possible ideas and/or corrections. I also assume that when G2 goes live, the "FAQ Thread" would almost certainly be removed and a FAQ-O-MATIC type thing would be created for real
Anyway, I went back and revised and revisited everything you guys have asked. Also, something to keep in mind is that if needed, you should be able to edit my posts
Removed:
Modified:
Added:
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Suggestion for new entry:
if you remove a *.tpl.local file it won't switch back to the *.tpl file due to smarty caching.. you can get it to switch back to *.tpl by clearing the smarty cache (either directly on filesystem or using FlushTemplates test case) or by doing 'touch {tpl_file}'
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To be able to remove a *.tpl.local file, would one have had to create it initially?
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yes, G2 doesn't ship with any *.tpl.local files... this is a situation where a user customized their gallery and later wants to remove the customization.
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Added:
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Hi
I'm wondering if there is a projected date for a gallery 2 release which will have a stable DB structure - i.e. a beta?
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no there isn't.
isn't this in the FAQ? if not, add it, it's the most FAQ
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Added:
Thanks valiant, that one was so obvious that I of course just assumed everyone already KNEW that ;)
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there are really lots of problems with installing ffmpeg etc.
we should make it easier to install / configure all the optional binaries (netpbm, imagemagick, built-in GD, ffmpeg, ...).
for each, we could point to sites offering precompiled binaries and write a short guide what needs to be configured how on *nix and on windows.
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fryfrog, some suggestions for FAQ updates:
1) question about zapping G2 data: add a note/link about Bharat's Cleanup
Script.. (since if the user dropped the DB already then the lib/tools/test/
page doesn't work)
2) remove IE7 references (now that we've removed IE7).. maybe instead add: we just removed IE7 and haven't yet made the necessary hacks to get things to look right on IE6.
3) add a "I want to write code for G2, how do I get started?" with a link to the development starter kit (in wiki)
4) mention that G2 now has the ability to do upgrades, but this functionality is still being tested.. upgrades are still not "supported" until beta (ie, Alpha N to Beta 1 is not "supported" though it will probably work)
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Fryfrog,
I don't know if this should be a FAQ but when installing G2A4 I ran into this on a hosted box:
Error "User 'xxxxxxx' has exceeded the 'max_questions' resource (current value: 10000)"
This is a configurable setting for SQL. In my case it was set to 10,000 queries and I had my host bump it up to a more reasonable number like 70,000. I did a search on google and found some hosts around the 50-70k mark so I think that this is a reasonable number.
I have not had any issues with this after the bump up. I can only assume that this is a hourly limit as the error goes away after a time. Some large Galleries with lots of traffic might need to have this even higher.
Dave
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Isn't the part about finding the relevant part of the debug output kinda backwards? It's IN the installer where it always (when working correctly!) has some errors about PluginParameterMap table doesn't exist, not in "nearly all other cases".. when an error occurs people often post this error message instead of looking near the bottom of the debug output for the actual database error that occurred. How about this:
If that doesn't help, post in this forum with your G2/PHP/database/OS/webserver/browser types and versions, a description of the problem (and the steps to reproduce if it may be a bug), and the relevant error message and debug output. For problems in the installer the debug output should be displayed.. post the error message at the top and look for the error near the bottom of the debug output (ignore errors about table g2_pluginparametermap does not exist near the top of the debug output.. this is normal). For errors while using G2 you'll need to turn on buffered debug output in config.php and then look near the bottom of the output for your error message. If you're unsure where the error message is you may post a link to the entire debug output, but please don't post the entire thing.
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I'll try to get to the other two posts tonight, but for now I did mindless's change because it was as simple as a cut and paste
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Updated Entries: These should address mindless's suggested changes and additions.
Added Entry: (from floridave) I would be happy to make this one better if anyone has any suggestions
Also an entry that someone sent me with gallery-bot note.
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typo on the 2nd to last one.. "zip cart" not "zip card"
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Updated: Fixed that little typo!
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Suggestions for existing questions:
Better answer:
Next:
Better:
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Updated:
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YES, I have fixed up the installer so it doesn't need to get that missing table error about pluginparametermap even when it is working correctly.. this will avoid a lot of confusion when people look at the debug output when some other error occurs. I suppose you should leave that info in the FAQ a while longer (for A4 users) but soon it can be removed.
couple other little things:
Typo: in "plans to allow upgrading G2".. G2B4 should be G2A4
Q about when thumbnails are created..
migrate module and item upload now both have a checkbox for creating thumbnails at upload time (and default to checked).
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Getting the latest Gallery 2 source code with WinCVS:
http://gallery.menalto.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=107784#107784
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New: Added a brief intro which should help explain a few things. Most of them were obvious though.
Updated: This should take care of the two posts above
Added a blurb about WinCVS
Corrected "G2B4" to "G2A4"
Obsoleted this one with some "red" and gave it an Update: blurb
Added an Update: about the fact that you can now generate thumbs/sized images at upload/migration.
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Update please:
Q: When I upload an image, G2 doesn't seem to create sized images or thumbnails... also, when I enter an album for the first time it takes a LONG time to load. What is the deal, yo?
With this one:
Q: When I upload an image, G2 doesn't seem to create sized images or thumbnails... also, when I enter an album for the first time it takes a LONG time to load. What is the deal, yo?
A: G2 has some fundamental differences from G1. In G1, thumbs and sized images were created at image upload. In G2, these items are not created UNTIL they are accessed/needed. This means that the first time you view a sized image or album, it may take a while for the images to be generated. Of course, subsequent visits should be much faster because they already exist. I believe there are also plans for the ability to generate the needed images at upload or when ever the user wishes, independant of viewing them for the first time.
Update: There is now a check box present during import and upload that allows for the generation of thumbs/sized images right then. Using this will increase the time it takes to upload/migrate, but will take care of it immediatly instead of when a user first requests the image.
The resized images (thumbnails) (derivatives) are stored in the g2data/cache/derivative directory tree.
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Added: