Broken thumbnails - new installation, first experience w/Gallery
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150mph
Joined: 2009-11-11
Posts: 8 |
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-11 21:57
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- Gallery 2.2.4 auto-installed by "EasyApp" via site host Control Panel, get "install=successful" message http://eryl.net/gallery Probably missed something important and been reading as much as I can on what to do - but I'm not a coder, just an html beginner, and the responses are beyond my level. Yeah its free but maybe this application requires too much maintaining and learning curve for a novice? Maybe my host doesn't have the latest version? (Will going through all the trouble to download and install update manually fix this problem?) Appreciate pointing me in the right direction. TIA Gallery version = 2.2.4 core 1.2.0.6 |
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Posts: 11023
Uninstall GD (go to Site Admin > Plugins) then go to Site Admin > NetPBM and click on Test Settings. Does it pass or fail?
You'll most likely need to increase the amount of memory to 32M:
FAQ: PHP memory_limit - Why do I get the error Allowed memory size of Xxx bytes exhausted?
If NetPBM fails, I suggest trying ImageMagick (see Site Admin > Plugins) and trying to get that running. If it also fails, ask your host if ImageMagick or NetPBM are installed on your server and where they are located. GD is a resource hog and requires a lot of memory (more than most shared hosts are willing to give up)
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Thanks for taking the time and trying to help Nivekiam - Very much appreciate your effort!
The test fails, even though I'm pretty sure I put the files where the instructions said. Screen capture below-
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— GD? Whats that?
— Increase memory? Hunh? This page with all the "create new root files for server stuff answers...":
Holy $%^#! I'm not a coder nor have any interest in becoming a sysadmin. Yeah I can chmod a folder, but I don't know where an htaccess doc goes. I have 5 sites hosted with this host.
I don't understand what you're saying about finding out from host if 2 apps are installed and where they are. That will take days to get a response from them. Why am I asking that? I think I uploaded the one myself already.
[begin rant] I'm really frustrated. All this reading before i posted, troubleshoot this - troubleshoot that - install new files on your server - I just want it to work correctly right out of the box, work the first time. It's just that I don't have all the time in the world to get this thing to work as advertised, just so I can find out if it's something I actually want on my site. I thought Gallery was supposed to be ready to go. I'm starting to get the idea that Gallery is only for techies who have untold hours to spend reading complex coding and server instructions, learning new terminology, experimenting with server commands and plug-ins to get the thing to work. Is this typical of what "normal" people who want to use this app have to go through just to get started ? This is not directed at you personally[/end rant]
Whew! Ok, sorry about that.... if you're still there, I'm ready to try again to fix it. On a positive note, the broken thumbnails,when clicked, take you to the image page and from there, I can use the drop-down menu to change from the default 92x92 sz and can actually view the photos I've uploaded (a place where there are no computers)
Posts: 11023
GD is an image processing toolkit, same with ImageMagick and NetPBM. Only GD is built into PHP and consumes additional resources, where ImageMagick and NetPBM are external binaries (programs) and don't consume the same resources you've been restricted on.
That link I gave you about increasing the memory is intended for you, the owner of your site, to be able to make some changes to your site. And most likely since you figured out how to create a phpinfo page and that PHP is run in CGI mode you might be able to use any of the options listed there. At the very least you should be able to make the .htaccess modification.
I'd also take a look at uninstalling any unused plugins you really don't need. The more you have installed, potentially makes gallery need to do more work (depending on the plugin).
If you don't know the path to the program files for NetPBM or ImageMagick, you'll need to contact your host to ask them where they are located.
You can try rebuilding your thumbnails by going to Site Admin > Maintenance and selecting the task to rebuild thumbnails and resizes.
Opinion time here. You can stop reading here if you want.
You need a new host
A quality, reliable, stable host should respond to you in a matter of minutes or hours (24/7). A quality, reliable, stable host should already have ImageMagick installed. It kind of goes along with being a shared host and having the tools available for your customers to be able to do what they want and need. If you don't bend over backwards for your customers and have quality customer service and support how can you possibly think you'll be able to keep customers or attract new customers?
At a quality, reliable, stable host Gallery would "just work". I've not had any problems or had to jump through any hoops with Gallery at 4 different providers (well technically 3, the 4th I setup the server).
Of course you do get what you pay for with hosting.
I currently have 2 hosts. A shared host and a VPS (Virtual Private Server, you do need to be a techie geek to get into that). My shared host has always responded in less than 4 hours and the 3 times I've put in a support ticket to my VPS provider, it's taken 4 hours, 4 minutes and 4 minutes. The 4 hour response time was for a non-critical product question asked at 11pm and responded to at 3am.
Here's more opinion:
http://gallery.menalto.com/node/88391#comment-310594
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Posts: 8
Hi Nivekiam. I followed your recommendations, after each, I tried the page again and still see broken TN's. It seems to me that some basic linking function is missing rather than a memory issue. Regardless, here's what I did:
- I went to Site Admin and uninstalled GD
- I tested NetPBM again. It failed, identical error as previous.
- I created a new text file and uploaded it to the gallery folder, then changed the name to .htaccess. It has one line of text in it: php_value memory_limit 24M
Is this correct? Does it need to be chmoded?
- I uninstalled almost half of the default plugins that seemed superfluous
- In Maintenance, went to Build all thumbnails/resizes, got "Completed Build all thumbnails/resizes task successfully. "
- I contacted my host to ask them where the path to the program files for NetPBM or ImageMagick is located. They have only ImageMagick, which the kid on chat duty says is a suite, not an app, and needed to know the name of the particular app in ImageMagick. Nevertheless he passed on this, from someone smarter than himself apparently:
The path to ImageMagick is : /usr/X11R6/bin/convert
What do I do with this info?
Thanks for hosting opinions. I guess I'm getting what I pay for at ix-webhosting.com - $48/year - pretty cheap. I don't have high expectations (or needs) and I rarely have to contact them -except when I'm trying something like Gallery. They dropped the ball on me once before, but over the years it's worked out ok. I'll keep pair.com in mind though...
Posts: 11023
No need to chmod, as long as it's 644 that should be fine. But the memory limit should be 32M
Perfect! Go to Site Admin > Plugins and uninstall the NetPBM plugin. Then install the ImageMagick plugin. Click the configure link/button if there is one or go to Site Admin > ImageMagick and enter /usr/X11R6/bin as the path and click the Test Settings button.
If it passes the tests, click Save at the bottom and go back to Site Admin > Plugins to make sure that the ImageMagick plugin is active.
ix webhosting? ugh, I've dealt with them in the past. Good luck
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Posts: 8
Thanks.
- I changed the htaccess to 32M and chmoded it to 644.
- I uninstalled NetPBM
- Just to be certain, I uninstalled ImageMagick (it was already installed) and reinstalled it, configuring the directory to /usr/X11R6/bin When I Test Settings, I get "Failed. Problem executing binary: File does not exist"
I also tried /usr/X11R6/bin/convert with no luck. What does a typical path look like?
Apparently I'm going to have to get a better path? I see in the ImageMagick Settings, that it's asking for Directory path to "ImageMagick/GraphicMagick" binaries. GraphicMagick is the Image Magick app I should be asking for a path to?
There's still a netpbm folder in the Gallery directory with chmoded 755 images. There's no ImageMagick directory in there, even though apparently it installed correctly, so I haven't chmoded any ImageMagick images like I did with netpbm. Is this right?
Posts: 11023
Do you have ssh access to your server?
If so, log in and type whereis convert
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Here is a user that has IX as well:
http://gallery.menalto.com/node/92508
Dave
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Blog & G2 || floridave - Gallery Team
Posts: 8
ssh access? I can connect via ftp.... to whatever normal directories are available... I'm sending your question to tech spt in a new ticket
Posts: 8
Ok I asked tech support your question. They said GD is necessary and re-installed it and now Gallery apparently works correctly. This is good news. But why would you tell me to turn it off??? Did you forget to tell me it needs to be turned back on again?
So far I'm impressed, despite the week it took to get it working. It seems pretty robust, although loading very slowly. I'm having some customization problems I've posted in the customization forum that I could use some help with. Thanks -Larry
Posts: 11023
Because Gallery only needs one working Toolkit and GD is a huge resource hog and rarely works well on low-end hosts (such as yours if it took them a week to resolve this) So apparently they don't really have ImageMagick installed on their servers even though they think they do and got you working with GD.
NOTE: If (when) you have problems with Gallery not creating images or broken thumbnails or you can't rebuild them, it's because GD is using all of the memory available to PHP and can't process the work. A 3MB image you upload for example could eat up 30MB of memory while being processed.
Good luck with your continued headaches of using IX
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