New to MODx - Comparing Joomla / Mambo for 23 Sites to Build ASAP!!!

HELP!!!!!!

I am new to MODx and love the online demo. I am very much so leaning towards using this over the more cumbersome CMS applications. I have tried to install the application literally over 10 times under different domains and keep getting the same result. Note: I am not a PHP developer so please take caution on deep technical feedback.

I have tried:
- with & without all of the default plugins
- with & without sample site installation
- all three MODx installation options: Install new node, update mode & advanced mode
- with and without the php.ini file
- with different DB charsets, etc...

The entire setup process is smooth and seamless. The problem is logging in!

When I login, I come right back to the login page:
- I verified that it is the correct password
- I verified that the DB is showing me as logged in
- I’ve purposely used an invalid login - it then shows that it is an invalid password

Hosted Account
Windows 2003
MODx: 0.9.6.1
IIS

I have to build 23 web sites and I am already behind. If I could get MODx working, I believe that this is the CMS I will build all of the sites with. Please, any help would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Do you have cookies enabled for the domains? Are the session files being saved properly? Check your server logs for any errors.

Quote from: ganeshXL at Feb 20, 2008, 01:33 AM

What PHP and mySQL versions are you using?

And then the obvious question: Do you really HAVE to use Windows/IIS? Surely, for two dozen sites you can get a nice Apache-based hosting acct. and save yourself a lot of headache + time...

MySql4.1.22 and I am waiting on support to get back to me with the php version (unless you can provide a simple script i can run to display the php version).

I might take the unix alternative if I cannot get the issue resolved quickly.

Thanks

Quote from: sottwell at Feb 20, 2008, 01:56 AM

Do you have cookies enabled for the domains? Are the session files being saved properly? Check your server logs for any errors.

I have a strange feeling that it has something to do with the cookie and domains settings. I do ColdFusion development and I remember resolving a very similar incident with the cookie settings. How would I go about that in PHP? What file would I modify?

Other:
As far as the sessions are concerned, I did notice about four or five files in the manager folder like:

sess_2528adc2de907b961489890e52dc682f
sess_23f5ec5ed9bc56466c63725e44391b5e
sess_38adba4b5e3af4a82914095f7aec7210
sess_5b7a7d604e765933fbfb03eedc8b55e9
sess_c3a009f03a7ba03f6ccfbbed25940b0a

Must be creating a new session for every time I attempt to login.

Thanks. The code worked...

The php version is 4.4.6.

You will find a lot more folks able to help for Apache. With IIS you also have to have a non-standard (maybe commercial) add-on in order to have friendly URLs which tremendously improves your search rankings. Hopefully Aaron will chime in soon. He’s an IIS maven and tremendously helpful community member. Good luck!

Quote from: sottwell at Feb 20, 2008, 01:56 AM

Do you have cookies enabled for the domains? Are the session files being saved properly? Check your server logs for any errors.

FIXED!!!

Well, after major trial and error, you were right about the domains. I made a change in the php.ini file that now allows me to log in.
Changed:

FROM: session.auto_start = 0
TO: session.auto_start = 1

1. Is there any negative impact or anything else I should consider? There are many other session settings in the ini file, should I adjust anything else because I have made the session.auto_start change?
------------------------------------

FINAL QUESTION:

2. Is there anything NON-commercial out there that will allow the SEO-Friendly URLs to work with MODx? Any Hack, etc?

There is a free/lite version of ISAPI Re-write that does a similar job to htaccess for furl’s.
http://www.helicontech.com/
Check with your host, they might install it or already have it installed!
I use it on the one site I have on an IIS server.
I’m sure Aaron will chime in soon, as he’s my IIS host, with how to set it up.

David

There is another free (ISAPI) filter for IIS that lets you enable Friendly URL’s on a windows box, it’s called Ionics Isapi Rewrite Filter maybe you would like to give it a try.

Carlos.

IIS Mod-Rewrite pro

It’s not free, but if you are hosting all 23 sites on the same server, it does pay back. Also they have published a good and working guide for setting up with MODx.

From my experience, all free solutions have such limitations that will give you 23x hard time, if you ever get them working.