Contao 2.9.1 - New install site structure error

[ernestmcd]

Good morning:

I'm setting up a new website for a client using Contao v2.9.1. I've working with the Typolight and now Contao system for over a year.

Last night, when I tried to create the site structure for the new website, when I create the domain, and then the website root, and then attempt to create the Initial Page for the website as a "Regular Page", this process fails and I get a blank screen with the word "done" at the bottom and this link at the top:

http://www.snellvillepride.com/contao/m ... =edit&id=2

If I hit the "go back" button on the browser, the new page is NOT in the site structure.

This is happening on another fresh install as well. A check of the site using the contao-check.php only shows one warning "Register Globals: On" which is set by our host provider. Everything else is "green".

I have a fairly full list of extensions installed all of these are "up to date" or "should be compatible with Contato 2.9.1".

This is the first time I've seen this on any Contao website, usually this process works very smoothly. Perhaps a conflict with an extension? Does anyone have experience with a recurring error like this?

Ernest McDermon
Snellville, GA

[ernestmcd]

UPDATE:

I've reinstalled Contao 2.9.1 on a development domain fresh and everything seems to be working there as expected. I can create a domain, add in the website root, and a home page.

I'm using a Linux/Apache Server and I'm going to monitor the install of our standard package of extensions to see if there is an issue with one as I load them on the Contao platform.

Still not sure why this is occurring, possibly a corrupt database entry. If anybody has seen this behavior before, I would appreciate your input as to cause and possible solution.

[Ben]

Ernest,

Did you have "Display error messages" enabled from settings? If not, try it and let us know if you get any error messages.

[ramjet]

You could also try to turn Register Globals off using php.ini if your hosting setup allows, and see if this makes a difference.

[ernestmcd]

Ben, Ramjet:

Thanks for the comeback.

I will turn on the "Display errors" and see what comes up when I try creating the website. I will also check with my host provider ZebraHost about the Register Globals setting.

So far the only way I've found to clear the error on a development website is to delete the installed files and database for contao, create a new, renamed database and do a fresh clean install of Contao v2.9.1. (OUCH) I'm using the contao check utility to ensure files aren't corrupted after install.

I have not seen this error previously on any version of TYPOlight or Contao except for 2.9.1. I'm going to try run this to ground over the next day or two. I'm thinking this could be caused by an extension, but not sure. The register globals has not affected any of our Contao websites previously. Here's the list of extensions we're using for a default Contao install on Linux/Apache server:

ajax
avatar
backend_themeicons
backend_user_online
BackupDB
banner
botdetection
calendar_ical
ce-access
Content_Popups
countdown
coverpicture
cron
csseditor
DC_DynamicTable
dfGallery
dlh_googlemaps
dlh_reservationplan
dlstats
dompdf
easy_themes
Favicon
DELETED fe_pageSplit4ward (RC Status)
flash_content
formauto
gallery
googlesitemap
helpmessage
Imageslider
inserttags
invitation
keywords
Lightbox4ward
linklist
literature
memberlist
module_richtext
mootoolsnav
MultiTextWizard
newsletter_export
news_teaser_rte
quickpoll
recommendation
related_news
styleVis
subcolumns
survey_ce
tabindex
tags
tags_articles
tags_content
tags_events
tags_members
tags_news
textwizard
ticker
videobox
xls_export
xtmembers
xtmembers_fieldeditor
x_avatarresizer
yw_w3c_validator
yw_youtube

Any thoughts here? The first extension I removed was the page split, but that did not affect the behavior. I may have to load them one at a time and see if the behavior appears.

I really appreciate the comeback from both of you.

Ernest McDermon
Snellville, GA "Where everybody is somebody!"

[Ben]

Holy cow, Ernest! That's a lot of extensions. Do you install all of them when you start on a project or are they actually needed? I find it best to install as few extensions as possible and only when they are needed. My guess is that one (or several) of the extensions are responsible for the problem.

[ernestmcd]

Hi Ben!

Definitely worth considering, but these are the extensions we've been routinely working with, all are marked "Up to date" or "Expected to be compatible with Contao 2.9.1". I also suspect that the issue may be a conflict with one or more extensions, but then that would mean they are NOT compatible with Contao 2.9.1, right?

We were not having problems with this on v2.9.0 with the same list, and I have run across at least one code error previously (calendar entries duplicating) with the former TYPOLight system that were associated with the Linux/Apache platform which could not be duplicated on the Unix systems that seem to be prevalent in Europe. It could be that the issue I'm seeing is an incompatibility with an extension on the Linux/Apache platform.

Obviously there are a lot of variables here.

Its hard to say, I'm working with a development platform that is exhibiting the described behavior and removing extensions one-by-one to see if I can identify one or more that is causing the problem.

I'll keep you informed.

[ernestmcd]

Ben:

I think I've located the problem. It looks like the extension that is causing the error to occur is "tabindex".

I went ahead and reinstalled the extensions in blocks of 10, and then tested the Site Structure to see if I could create the domain, website root and then the initial page. Everything worked fine for 30 + one block of 8 extensions, and then I intalled these in sequence:

ticker
tabindex
avatar

and the error appeared. With a little bit of trouble shooting, I confirmed that the culprit was "tabindex". If I removed it from the Extension Manager, and installed

ticker
Avatar

the error cleared and I could create the Site Structure. I've completed testing and have 58 extensions installed and working properly, all show "Up to date" or "Expected to be compatible with 2.9.1" and I can create the Site Structure.

If I delete the site structure, reinstall "tabindex" with the stack of extensions, and then attempt to create the Site Structure, when I add a new page and click "Website root", the blank page appears and the site structure fails. If I then delete the "tabindex" extension from the stack, I can then create the Site Structure and clicking on "Website Root" behaves as it should.

Hopefully this post will help someone else and perhaps the creator of the tabindex can figure out why the extension is failing. Right now I would say that "tabindex" is NOT compatible with v2.9.1.

Ernest McDermon
Snellville, GA

[Ben]

Ernest,

Wow - glad to hear you tracked the problem down. You probably already did this, but you may want to contact Helmut about the problem so that your ghost chasing doesn't go to waste.

[ernestmcd]

Thanks for the advice Ben. I sent a message to Hulmut using the contact form on his website with a link to this thread and an overview of the issue.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Ernie McDermon