Dumb PHP questions... starting with Server stuff

Well you could do that. Kind of annoying that you have to, but that’s a larger issue. Your host should be able to make it work for you that way.

But you could also just create the config file manually and upload it. All you need to know are those first few settings (see below). And those are things you should be able to figure out pretty easily.

phpMyAdmin is a fine script. Your host whould already have it installed for you. If they don’t, maybe you’re using the wrong host...

Thanks again Zap I couldn’t quite tell what was going to need change I ought to maybe be able to handle it from there... my ticket request came back this morning... I told them maybe just allow write permissions for the whole folder where modX was... and of course it’s catch 22 so now I’m probably screwed again, worse this time... Read this notice, keep in mind the whole application is a script right, so I think I just shot myself in the foot:----------------------
NOTE: Though this directory has write permissions enabled, it does not have script execute permissions. We do not allow write and execute permissions in the same directory as a security precaution. This is a security policy in place to protect your data, as well as the server in general. Allowing write permission and script execution in the same directory is a known security hole for Windows server environments.
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I’m getting the hosting for free, helping moderate their forum’s but I swear if it’s not one thing it’s not another, I’d like to even promote them as a good host. Of course it’s totally dead in the water, I asked to allow write permissions too that one file or maybe the folder, then I said what the heck maybe the whole modX folder, completely forgeting about the no execute no write thing....
So the moron give the whole directory write permissions knowing it’s going to kill the scripts.
Thanks alot hosting help... they had to know it was just gonna kill the folder, dang.

How many windows IIS hosts have the no write, no execute in the same directory rule, I wonder. It’s enough to make most people think it’s the hosts fault that something won’t work, when they gimp the setup like that. I wrote back to support and gave them hell in private, and I hate to complain, it just puts me in a generally foul mood...lol, but it was a judgment call and they screwed it up... oops on my part too ... waiting some more for my magical CMS install to be complete.

At some point you have to ask if free is worth all the time you have to invest in it.

Windows servers are always problematic, and doubly so when they are IIS and not Apache. I never build sites on them. If a client has one that they want me to do some work on then OK, but if it’s going to be more than a quick contract I insist that we move the site to a Linux/Apache box.

And I’m really not all that fanatical about Linux or anything like that; I just want the server to work properly!

I think that you can still make MODx work, though. You would only need write permissions on your cache and images folders. You could manually upload your config file (with the details already entered) and you’d never need to write to it again. The rest of MODx’s configs are stored in the database (these are just the ones that allow it to access the database).

I don’t think that the cache files need to be executed, despite having .php extensions. If they do, then you could try turning caching off on your site. Does anyone know if that would work, or does the publishing cache file need execute permissions?

They can only grant write permissions on a folder... if they do it disables the scripts.
I think my best option is manually uploading the file config.inc.php.
Is Zap’s file the current version 9.21 file then, and is that accurate for the blanks I will need to fill in, if so I can probably handle all that.
I had my host remove the write permissions.
A day and a half later I’m back where I was, that’s the chance I took doing the remote install then huh.

What exactly does the config.inc.php do, does it have a long term purpose or just short-term for the install?

Thanks again:
UserOne out.
I posted this post, while Zap posted the above studying that one then...lol.

Are images stored in an image folder, is there an option to store them in the database in some instances.
So some folder’s will need permissions set then, if they don’t have scripts in them I’m good, if they do, I’m fried...

That config file is the latest version (0.9.2.1). It is a permanent file that MODx uses every time it connects to the database (meaning constantly), but it never needs to be written to again as long as the database connection info stays the same. I’ve uploaded these manually many times instead of using the installer to write them and it’s never caused a hiccop.

The images are all stored in the images folder. You don’t really need to allow write permissions on that directory either if you don’t mind uploading your images via FTP. It’s actually more secure if you do it that way, but you do lose the ability to upload images from within the admin scripts (and gallery scripts won’t be able to make thumbnails ad whatnot either).

I’m not 100% sure about the cache files, though. Someone who knows should weigh in on that one. I know that you can turn off caching and therefore not use the document cache file, but I’m not sure whether you can do that with the publishing cache file and I’m also not sure whether these files need to be executable or not (they do end in .php, after all).

Hi Zap just so you know I’m copying your stuff and pasting it in a new thread i started under general support, since it’s come to needing a little more help... thanks for all your suggestions so far.
The new thread in general support was call "Windows IIS installation ... HELP"... that sound about right...lol