500 server errors in manager, memory issue?

Hey guys,

I have a reseller hosting account and I use modx for all my sites whether the client wants a cms or not, it is easier for me to maintain the site. So because of this over time I have installed pretty much all of the Evo releases. Currently I have releases active from 0.9.x right up to 1.0.5.

The problem I am having is that all these releases were working fine up until a few weeks ago, when periodically I started getting internal server error 500 from within the manager. The front end of the websites have never been affected. The first frame to get the error is the main frame, then sometimes the menu tree frame as well. Never all 3 frames. If I reload the frame(s) it displays fine and the manager works without a hitch most of the time, until I have to log in again.

I have done a lot of research and most things that pop up relating to this sort of problem discuss file/folder permissions. So I checked with my server and it is running the following;

Apache version = 2.2.17
PHP Version = 5.2.17
MySQL Version = 5.1.56
Server API = CGI
Memory Limit = 64MB

Now I do not know much about servers or what all of this means, but I have logged a support ticket with the hosting company and had numerous emails back and forth about it.I have check all my permissions are set fodlers/755 and files/644. The hosting people keep telling me it is not a permission issue it is an issue when logging into the manager something is trying to use way too much memory and the shared hosting safe guards (Cloud LInux Limit).

This problem is not occurring all the time but when it has been occurring, they have increased the memory limit to over 1GB and the issue was still happening. This doesn't make sense to me that Modx would be using that much memory.

I have tried disabling all plugins, tinymce and removing the RSS feeds but still the problem occurs.

They are basically telling me they have done all they can on a shared server and I will need to go to a dedicated hosting plan so they can set my limits higher. I don't really want to do that and probably can't afford it. But more importantly I can't understand why sometimes it works and other times it doesn't and also why a refresh of the frame(s) fixes it for that log in session.

Can anyone please help me shed some light on the issue.

Brad

Hello Brad,

Who are you currently hosting with, I may have a few ideas on that front.

I am with www.jumba.com.au.

cheers

Hi
Just to add my voice to this, I have EXACTLY that issue.
Maybe my info can help..

I'm on Greengeeks.com hosting - and I really liked them until June30. I still like them for things other than MODx.

Before we start, all permissions are what they should be, and the sites are small; they would be lucky to see 50 to 100 people a day. Maximum of about six to thirty page sites with Minimal snippets.

It started with several Evo 1.05 sites getting that 500 in various windows.
I finally managed to get from them that on June 30 they had "upgraded" to cloud linux.

MODX revo had been available through scriptaculus so after I moved the Evo sites, I added some Revo sites.

But now the Revo sites are using 100% cpu, loads of memory, and being throttled and penalized.

Tech support has no idea what might be wrong. Most don't seem to read the emails, our exchanges have been like sketch comedy!

Anyway, evo and revo both, and this is even with a fresh install of revo 1.13.
The culprit, I think, must be some default cloud linux setting. Wish I could tell you more, nothing I have tried has worked at all.
I'll be watching this with baited breath
[ed. note: unsub777 last edited this post 14 years, 11 months ago.]

I understand your frustration, I am right there with you.

Still no fix for the problem that I have found, but the problem does seem to have gone away for the last few days .. maybe even a week.

I too was getting the problem on a fresh install of EVO 1.05 as soon as I logged into manager after install. So the problem does not seem to be related to the amount of resources or even traffic to the website. As it is happening for me on new domains where no-one is visiting yet.

I was getting some errors in my cPanel log which I just tried to retrieve, but wouldn't you know it ... the sites are working fine right now, so no error logs. As soon as it starts playing up again I will post the logs to see if anyone can help.

It's easier said than done, but I think I'd be heading for another host rather than waiting for people who don't know what they're doing to begin with to figure out the problem.

A competent host should have something like that worked out in a day or two at the most.

There are huge MODX sites (both Evo and Revo) and thousands of smaller sites that have been up for years and never had a problem.

I'm w/ you on that count, BobRay.
It does seem a bit weird that they can't help at all. After all, it was their "upgrade" that killed MODx. Too bad, I really like everything else about them.

I hope I can find some non-cloud hosting that is comparable in price and features. They were so good before...

Having exactly the same issue with jumba. Did you get a response?
They just told me to update modx but its the latest version - plus I cant update all my clients site that's a weeks work!

I didn't gets lot of useful help from Jumba. They kept giving me reports on how much memory modx was using. I have many different versions of modx running and they all do it. It is irregular and very hard to track down the exact reason as they don't seem to admit any blame. In the end all they tried to do was sell me a virtual server ... Costly. I will pm you with a possible solution when I get home later today.

Thanks Bradelaide, had a chat with them turns out they changed systems around the same time as the problems started and put a memory limit on all shared sites. But they did up my company website and it seams fixed. There only option so far is to go VPS which is 3 times the cost!!! It still seams weird that modx spikes so much I have one client whos site isn't even live and it still gets the 500error so its only me and the client logging in - ridiculous!