FCK Editor Resource Browser problem and solution

Config
MODx version 0.9.6.3
Version codename rev 4565
Database Version: 4.1.22-standard
PHP: 5.2.5

A little while ago I created a file-upload feature. I quickly ran into a maximum set within the PHP configuration, to which I don’t have access. I spoke to the hosting people who added this:

php_value upload_max_filesize 11M
php_value post_max_size 11M
php_value max_execution_time 200
php_value max_input_time 200

to the .htaccess file

Didn’t work, so they #’d out the four lines and added to the site root a file called php.ini which contained one line:

upload_max_filesize = 11M

Fine - the upload feature worked.

Next time I came to edit the site: problems. The /manager login page opened normally, I edited a page normally, but when the save icon was clicked the browser page immediately reverted to the /manager login page. Subsequent login revealed that the edit had not been successful.

Another symptom was that the /images and /files resource directories, (when opened from insert/edit image, or insert/edit link icons, and then clicking the browse icon to move to the resource browser), were blank: no thumbnails, and the upload feature failed to upload. The identical symptoms to trying to read or write to a resources file with incorrect permissions.

If I take out the one-line php.ini file from the root directory everything works normally, except that the file upload limit stays at the hosting co’s limit.

So - to edit the site I remove the php.ini file, and to run the site I replace it, but it is irritating. I’ve hunted within these walls, and on the net at large, but no-one else seems to have quite this problem.

In the process of eliminating possible causes I upgraded to the latest release of MODx and re-checked all paths and file permissions. Everything is as out of the box, except that I set up for friendly URLs, as on all 10 of my MODx sites. (None of which have file-upload limits issues).

Any ideas anyone?


Nic Boyde