FAQ: Server Issues that can affect how your Jamroom runs

1. What are the correct permissions to use for the files and directories in my Jamroom?
2. Jamroom is only allowing me to upload a Maximum of 2MB?  How can I fix this?
3. How do I tell if the PHP on my server is running as a "CGI" or as an "Apache Module"?
4. The MySQL Username and/or Password has changed - how do I update Jamroom?
5. I am getting a "500 Internal Server Error" when trying to view my Artist Pages - what's wrong?
6. I am seeing a "MySQL Error 1030: Got Error 28 From dbhandler" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?
7. I am seeing a "MySQL Error 1040: Too Many Connections" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?
8. I want to change my Jamroom directory and/or domain - how do I do it?
9. Jamroom does not seem to be sending out E-Mail - what would cause this?
10. I am seeing a "dbQuery() db error 1153: Got a packet bigger than max_allowed_packet" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?

What are the correct permissions to use for the files and directories in my Jamroom?

• CGI - When PHP is run as a CGI, it means that on every execution of a PHP script in your account, the web server "becomes" your account for the duration of the script, inheriting your accounts permission levels.  The server also checks to make sure that none of your files and folders are readable, writable or executable by anyone else but your account.  This is the most secure method of running PHP.  Usually on a CGI PHP install, the Directory permissions must be set to 755, and the file permissions must be set to 644.

• Apache Module - When PHP is running as an Apache Module, the PHP interpreter has been "embedded" into the Apache process - this allows the web server process to run the PHP script without have to load PHP "externally", offering better performance than the CGI mode, but not being as secure.  The problem is that the Web server runs as a different user than your account (usually the web server runs as "nobody" or "apache"), and therefore, any files or folders that need to be modifiable by the web user will have to have their permissions set accordingly so the web user can read and write to the directories and files.  In this mode, for the web user to be able to write into a directory it did NOT create, the permissions need to be set to 777 for directories, and for the web user to be able to write or change the contents of a file, the permissions on the file need to be set to 666.

• By default, Jamroom will create directories and files as needed in the jamroom/members and jamroom/media directories - therefore, it is recommended that even on an Apache Module PHP install, the directory permissions be set to 755 and the file permissions be set to 644.  This will ONLY work however, if you do NOT change any of the files or folders within the jamroom/members and jamroom/media directories.  If you copy or move files inside that directory, then YOUR account will then own the files, and therefore will need to be permissioned to 777 (for directories) and 666 (for files) in order for the web user to write to them.

• Understanding UNIX file permissions can be tricky, especially if your exposure to Linux and UNIX like operating systems is limited.  It is HIGHLY recommended to spend some time (maybe 20 minutes) to understand how permissions affect your server (not just Jamroom), as it can really save you a lot of time if something goes wrong with your permissions.
  • http://www.perlfect.com/articles/chmod.shtml
  • http://www.library.yale.edu/wsg/docs/permissions
  • http://cals.arizona.edu/ecat/web/permissions.html

Jamroom Only allows a Maximum Upload Size of 2 Megabytes - how do I change this?

When you are on the “Create Song” or "Create Video" form screens in Jamroom, Jamroom will show you the "Maximum Combined Upload Size":

This value is the Maximum amount of data that can be uploaded via the Jamroom form.

Unfortunately, by default, most PHP settings are set for 2 megabytes (2M). You can contact your system administrator and have them change 2 settings in the master php.ini file (it requires root access):

• post_max_size
• upload_max_filesize

Note: Changing these settings will have zero impact on other areas of your system - it is an easy and safe change to make, although you will likely encounter resistance from your web host to change them. If your System Administrator is not comfortable making the change, you can try to do it yourself:

• create a file called “.htaccess” in your jamroom directory (i.e. jamroom/.htaccess) and put the following 2 lines in it (If you already have a  .htaccess file in your Jamroom directory, just add these lines at the top of the file):

php_value post_max_size 32M
php_value upload_max_filesize 32M

and try refreshing your Jamroom “Create Song” or “Modify Song” screen and see if it has allowed a larger upload.

If you get an “Internal Server Error” message, or it fails to change the Maximum Combined Upload size, you can try the next option, although this option will typically only work for servers that are running with PHP in “CGI” mode:

• create a file called “php.ini” and place it in your web root directory (i.e. /home/yourname/public_html/php.ini) and place the following 2 lines inside:

post_max_size = 32M
upload_max_filesize = 32M

If you still have no luck getting it to work, you will have to contact your System Administrator and have them modify the master php.ini config file to allow larger uploads, or direct you to the method for changing the necessary values. Jamroom does not control these settings.
 

Tip: Some hosting providers do not allow their users to make these changes to PHP - if you have followed these instructions, and are still seeing your Max Upload Size set to 2mb, then you will want to contact your Hosting Provider and have them assist you.

How do I tell if the PHP on my server is running as a "CGI" or as an "Apache Module"?

The MySQL Username and/or Password has changed - how do I update Jamroom?

http://example.com/jamroom/settings.php.

I am getting a "500 Internal Server Error" when trying to view my Artist Pages - what's wrong?

$config['directory_mode'] = 0777;
$config['file_mode'] = 0666;

$config['directory_mode'] = 0755;
$config['file_mode'] = 0644;

If this does not fix the problem, you’ll likely need to get assistance from your web hosting provider, as the error can be caused by many different server-related issues. You can often consult your Web server error log for further information to the cause of the problem.

I am seeing a "MySQL Error 1030: Got Error 28 From dbhandler" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?

This error indicates that you have run out of disk space, and MySQL is unable to update or write data to your Jamroom database. You will need to remove some data from your server hard drive to clear up space, or contact the System Administrator of your server for help.

Check out the Error Handling in MySQL section of the MySQL website for details on all of the error codes that may come from your MySQL server.

I am seeing a "MySQL Error 1040: Too Many Connections" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?

[mysqld]
#
# * Basic Settings
#
max_connections = 250

I want to change my Jamroom directory and/or domain - how do I do it?

1. Log in to your Jamroom Server using FTP, and move the files to the location desired.
2. Modify the jamroom/config/settings.cfg.php and make sure the jamroom_path and jamroom_url are correct for your server/domain, and save the file.
3. Log into your Jamroom as the Master Admin
4. Click on the "Jamroom Tools" menu option and select the "Reset Jamroom Caches" option.  Leave the options at default on the Reset Caches page, and press the "Reset Caches" button.
5. Click on the "Jamroom Tools" menu option and select the "Profile Regenerator" option.  Make sure the "Fast Rebuild" option is NOT checked, and submit.  This will rebuild all of your profile pages with the proper new path and domain.
6. If you are using the Jamroom Progress Meter, you also need to edit the cgi-bin/uu_default_config.pm file and make sure the URL and Path are correct.  You can test if it is correct from the Jamroom Tools -> Server Check section.

Jamroom does not seem to be sending out E-Mail - what would cause this?

• First, make sure it isn't something as simple as your e-mail being caught in a Spam filter - disable all Spam filtering (if you can), and try to use a non-free email address.  Both Hotmail and Yahoo mail are notorious for not delivering legitimate email that they "think" is spam.

• Next, make sure that SMTP is configured correctly for your server.  Jamroom utilizes the PHP mail function, which in turn relies on the underlying SMTP (email) server that runs on your web server.  Start by visiting Into DNS and run the "DNS report" on your domain name.  You should not see any errors in the "mail" section of the report. Note that many domains still do not utilize the "SPF" record section, so it is fairly normal to fail on this section, however certain free e-mail providers (namely Hotmail and Yahoo) will reject email from a domain that does not have a properly configured SPF record.  You will need to have your hosting provider configure an SPF record for your domain.

• Next, we want to make sure that PHP is configured properly to "talk" to the underlying SMTP server.  We can do this with a simple test.  Create a small file called "emailme.php" which contains the following lines:

<?php
mail('you@yourdomain.com','test subject','test message');
echo "email sent!";
?>

• Finally, make sure that the e-mail address you have chosen for the following Jamroom Config items is a proper e-mail address:

• Jamroom Config → Email Settings → Return E-Mail Address
• Jamroom Config → Signup Settings → Admin E-Mail Address
• Admin Profile → Email Address

I am seeing a "dbQuery() db error 1153: Got a packet bigger than max_allowed_packet" error in my Jamroom - what is causing this?