Site suddenly stopped working with 500 Errors

Regular Joined: Nov 27, 2005 Posts: 58

My site was running RavenNuke, the first package. All had been well since this package came out. I do not run googletap or anything, just Sentinel.

Since yesterday, I get a 500 Internal Server Error page every time I try to access it. It does not generate any new error logs in phpnuke. Error reporting is enabled.

I have ran the database test script from Nukecops and I get this just fine: Connection Test Script connected to your MySQL server successfully!

Connection to your database "removed for security" was also successful.

I ran a simple phpinfo script to test the php and it displays the full phpinfo box. I tried accessing another page of mine which has another database and it just gave a blank page.

Trying to run any nuke related php file directly gets me a blank page as well. (commenting out the direct access protection)

It gives me the exact same things in both IE and FF.

Server runs the following:

Operating system Linux
Kernel version 2.4.20-31.9smp
Machine Type i686
Apache version 1.3.36 (Unix)
PERL version 5.8.0
Path to PERL /usr/bin/perl
Path to sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
Installed Perl Modules Click to View
PHP version 4.3.11
MySQL version 4.0.27-standard
cPanel Build 10.9.0-CURRENT 12
Theme cPanel X v2.5.0

I know the server updates automatically, but I have yet to hear anything back form my webhost.

The .htaccess and .staccess files are stock raven file which have had IP's added to them. I have not received and Sentinel Block emails in a while.

I ran a MySQL database check and all come up with OK's. But every single thing phpnuke related will do absolutely nothing.

I've even tried replacing things like mainfile.php, etc. with the original ones in the ravennuke package, even though nothing should have changed in them.

Anyone have any ideas to help me out please ?

Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 6432

I removed the information from your post that shouldn't be made public.

If no files changed (check the dates), the problem is caused by one or more of the following:
- database errors (check/repair the database)
- php.ini changes (check with the host)
- problems with the server (HTTP, MySQL, etc.) (check with the host)

Some changes to your htaccess could also cause this.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:18 pm

One definite change I have noticed is that my MySQL server was restarted about 26 hours ago, about this time this started happening.

And now, in my phpmyadmin, all my databases show a collation of "latin1_swedish_ci"

Could that be a problem for an English site ?

I never saw "latin1_swedish_ci" listed in phpmyadmin before.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:44 pm

Probably not an issue. But definitely check the database and tables. If MySQL went down, it's possible that tables (e.g. sessions, etc.) were open for update when it happened. Repairing the database / tables might do the trick.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:47 pm

They have all been checked, analyzed, optimized and repaired. All were already "OK" and completely optimized.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:10 pm

Can you get to your server error logs then? If using CPanel, they should be there

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:18 pm

The only errors it presents are from me playing with things. There were no recent errors.

Last 300 errors:

[2006-09-22 19:09:07]: error: file is writable by others: (/home/****removedname/public_html/phpnuke/config.php)
[2006-09-22 18:36:48]: error: file is writable by others: (/home/****removedname/public_html/phpnuke/index.php)

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:54 pm

It is sounding as though your host has done some updates to the server environment.
Just to humour me, rename your htaccess and staccess files - I am wondering if amongst the many other things that could cause this as others have mentioned that perhaps the host has changed the allow_overrride permissions and thus the directives in htaccess are no longer 'allowed' by the host.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 5:47 pm

Just changed the root plus nuke files. Same result. Root htaccess definitely is working because it contains a redirect to index.php

I know it has to be something with my host, as it all happened when the SQL server was restarted midday Friday. I just hope it is something they can reverse for me.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:13 pm

Sorry, I don't think I put my point across very well.
I was trying to intimate that *some* directives might no longer be allowed and the easiest way to check that is to rename or remove htaccess.
This may not be the cause of your problem but we can at least cross it off the list.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:28 pm

Quote:

[2006-09-22 19:09:07]: error: file is writable by others: (/home/****removedname/public_html/phpnuke/config.php)
[2006-09-22 18:36:48]: error: file is writable by others: (/home/****removedname/public_html/phpnuke/index.php)

Sorry to jump in, but I have to ask whether your host maybe removed these files? I know that's simplistic but if they did then Nuke won't work and you'll have to replace them.

Posted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:09 pm

No, they are still there. I think those errors are from me playing with the permissions.

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:34 am

500 server errors are almost always related to the hosting environment. Your host has changed something and I would definitely do what Guardian has asked you to do. MySQL having an issue, I do not believe, will cause a 500 error. But, that is JMO.

registered · Theme Guru Joined: Nov 01, 2003 Posts: 1006

as has been mentioned above sometimes something as simple as an invalid ip in your htaccess, that you know nothing about can cause the 500 error. It doesnt matter that your redirect is still working. Rename your .htaccess to 2.htaccess and your .stacess to 2.staccess. Then report back if you can see your website or now.

Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:22 am

Well thank you all for trying to help. I should hear back from my host on Monday. I can't complain too much, I've had unlimited hosting for a year or so in exchange for a 100x100 ad for the host.

Thanks again, I'll let you know what I find out.

--

Edit, and I did already test the renaming both htaccess files and staccess. No luck.

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:04 pm

No more 500 errors. Several things were upgraded. The only problem is, I get a completely blank site. No header, no errors, no error logs, nothing but blank.

Operating system Linux
Service Status Click to View
Kernel version 2.4.20-31.9smp
Machine Type i686
Apache version 1.3.36 (Unix)
PERL version 5.8.0
Path to PERL /usr/bin/perl
Path to sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail
Installed Perl Modules Click to View
PHP version 4.4.3
MySQL version 4.0.27-standard
cPanel Build 10.9.0-CURRENT 33
Theme cPanel X v2.6.0
Documentation Click to View

Zend was updated as well.

Tried config.php with both MySQL and mysql4 entered, same thing.

I can do the database test and it connects successfully and lists all my tables.

I am totally and completely at a loss. I even replaces the primary root files for nuke, even .htaccess and .staccess

Any ideas/help ?

Regular Joined: Oct 01, 2006 Posts: 50 Location: UK

Just a realy long shot in the dark, but has the host lost the preference settings like maybe the theme selection ?
Sometimes, if a theme is selected and/or/but the theme files are not in place then it often returns a blank page.
So maybe the site is trying to find a theme which isn't there !!!!!
Usually a buggy file on the server or a db error would return some form of error wouldn't it ( like a undefined line ''''' in header.php ..... or similar script at the top of a white page.)

Sorry ....... Just trying to help. Blonde Moment

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:06 pm

The theme is still set in the config table of the database.

I do not get it at all and its driving me crazy. I do not even get so much as a title at the top of my browser. The php can access the database, list the tables, but yet phpnuke cannot display on single php file.

Any more ideas would be very much appreciated.

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:39 pm

I suppose you could definitively rule out server side issues by installing the latest version of Raven Nuke in a different main directory Smile

This will atleast tell us if its defintely server side or something gone haywire in your current files such as a hacker writing something to one of your files.

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:59 pm

A 500 error is caused by a scripting problem, a failed database access attempt, or other similar reasons. I would think it is file related and not server side.

Firstly scripting problems are pretty much a no no if all the files are original and as when they were downloaded unless they have been hacked and/or modified.
As Guardian has said, try a new install with a freshly downloaded set of files on a sub domain of something similar to see if it works to (a) rule out server side errors (b) if it works then it most probably is a corrupted file or a db error.

A failed database could obviously be config.php should that be corrupt, or the tables could required deleting/backing up.

I would do as said above and build another site on the same server with fresh files and a new db if you can and see what happens. Also check your config file / settings and make sure those database enteries are ok.

Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:51 pm

Check that all files exist that are included in index.php. and its sub-includes.

Basically, check that all files exist.

If a file is not there, it wont always output an error to the error log and will cause a blank page.

Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:41 pm

Well, I've never had a 500 error be the result of a normal failed database call or script problem per se. It has always been a misconfiguration or misuse of something that the host didn't want me to do. Raven says over and over that it is server configuration and/or an issue with the .htaccess file and how you are using it, syntax-wise, or if you are trying to do things the host does not allow through .htaccess.

Blank site could be parse errors and could also even be failed DB calls as dogpowell has stated. I have seen this when an insert into a table has less or more fields than what the table has in its definition. Beyond those two things, I rarely see anything else.

All the suggestions in the previous few posts look like good ones. Try a brand new installation with NO modifications outside what the instructions tell you to and see if it works.

BTW, what editor did you use to modify the config.php script?