Some Admin pages Won't load after update to PHP 8.1

[labrat]

I discovered that I am unable to load the Import/Export (admin_dataimport.php) from the admin menu. All I get is a blank page.

My provider (dreamhost) has recently updated PHP from v7.4 (I think) to v8.1. At the time, I was running TNG v. 13.  I have updated TNG to v. 14.0.1 thinking that 13 was incompatible with PHP v8.1 in some way. It seems everything is working fine after the upgrade,  but the dataimport page still does not load. I tried some more things and found that admin_diagnostics.php also does not load.

I'm not sure where the problem lies or if there are other undiscovered problems. I'm not too conversant in the back end stuff because I don't use it that often. I use Firefox, but have tried this from Chrome to no effect. 

Any ideas or a point in the right direction would be appreciated.

https://quiettoad.net/genealogy

[labrat]

I wonder if I should be checking with my web host about this. My problem is that I'm not even sure what questions to ask. 

[edglimited]

On 3/28/2023 at 3:43 PM, labrat said:

My provider (dreamhost) has recently updated PHP from v7.4 (I think) to v8.1. At the time, I was running TNG v. 13.  I have updated TNG to v. 14.0.1 thinking that 13 was incompatible with PHP v8.1 in some way. It seems everything is working fine after the upgrade,  but the dataimport page still does not load. I tried some more things and found that admin_diagnostics.php also does not load.

Several on here (from memory) have had issues with Dreamhost. A true WebHost shouldn't just update PHP from 7.4 to 8.1 it should be an option for the user to choose. I'm with Ventraip and they have PHP from 5.1 to 8.1  ....I currently run PHP7.4 on TNG14.0 only because 8.1 simply slows my Site down and access to MySQL mysqlnd requires 7.4.33 (client). On PHP8.1, it's a no-go zone for MySQL..!!

As an option, you could upload fresh copies of admin_diagnostics.php and admin_dataimport.php to the Host Files and see if that makes a difference. As a matter of curiosity, can you go into your site and take a snapshot of the diagnotics page. Go to Admin >> Setup >> Choose Diagnostics Tab. (see pic).

 

Drew..

 

[labrat]

Thank you for your response. I can't get the diagnostics page to load - I just get a blank screen.

I will contact Dreamhost to see what they can do. It does indeed seem like things are loading a lot more slowly now. There is another page you can load that shows all of the PHP settings and such, but I can't remember the file name to call. I did manage to load that when I was poking around. I don't know if that info would be helpful.

DH did send a message about the upgrade and I think they offered to put things back to 7.4 if 8.1 caused problems.

Thanks again,

Laura

[edglimited]

1 hour ago, labrat said:

I will contact Dreamhost to see what they can do. It does indeed seem like things are loading a lot more slowly now.

Hi Laura, I added a couple more screenshots to show what PHP8.1 can do to TNG14.0. As you can seen in the pics, the dreaded red cross. If DH require some proof, feel free to show them these. 

Drew..

[labrat]

Thank you Drew. I have a support ticket started with Dreamhost. I will probably send them your screen caps when they get in touch with me with more info.

Best,

Laura

[labrat]

I know just enough to get myself totally frustrated with this.

I found the phpinfo page and the versions of things are as follows:

PHP Version 8.1.9

mysqlnd 8.1.9 Now that I know how to get to this page, I can find more info if you tell me what would be helpful. Is mysqlnd the same as mySQL? Why is the version the same as the PHP version? What causes the problems between php and mysql? I am not sure when I will hear back from DreamHost.

[Brenda]

On 3/30/2023 at 6:06 PM, labrat said:

Thank you for your response. I can't get the diagnostics page to load - I just get a blank screen.

I will contact Dreamhost to see what they can do. It does indeed seem like things are loading a lot more slowly now. There is another page you can load that shows all of the PHP settings and such, but I can't remember the file name to call. I did manage to load that when I was poking around. I don't know if that info would be helpful.

DH did send a message about the upgrade and I think they offered to put things back to 7.4 if 8.1 caused problems.

Thanks again,

Laura

Hi Laura;

I've recently upgraded to PHP 8.0.28 and am running TNG version 13.1.2.

My site is running fine as far as I can see, but I also get just a blank page with asking for the Diagnostics. Not sure why.

Following, with interest

Sincerely,

Brenda

brpedersen.com/genealogy

[edglimited]

4 hours ago, labrat said:

Now that I know how to get to this page, I can find more info if you tell me what would be helpful.

Hi Laura, good question, but before I get to that, lets correct a few DH errors first. I only say that based on another comment you used.

This one....😰
 

4 hours ago, labrat said:

I know just enough to get myself totally frustrated with this.

If you get frustrated with PHP and the who's and why's, plus "I wonder what this button does", then PHP8.1 will be the least of your worries.!!

DreamHost did indeed update there PHP Versions, however, they had no right to simply upgrade you, that choice is yours alone. They dont know what software you are running etc.??

The good part is, you can log into DH and change the PHP version from within what they call cPanel, or Control Panel. Go to this link, watch it a few times, then log into DH.

Change my PHP Version

Once you get that sorted, then I can explain PHP, SQL and where to find it within cPanel on DH.

Drew..

EDIT: I will add this link as a bit of extra reading. It's nothing heavy

TNG vs PHP Versions

[labrat]

I'll check out the links you posted. I used to be more conversant in this but I haven't been using it as much.

DreamHost rolled me back to 7.4. Here's their email to me:

"As for the program you mentioned, it was showing this instead:

 

[Sat Apr 01 16:03:14.930266 2023] [fcgid:warn] [pid 161636:tid

3675631572736] [client 186.155.18.58:23428] mod_fcgid: stderr: PHP Fatal

error:    Uncaught Error: Undefined constant "chdate" in

/home/labrat2894/quiettoad.net/genealogy/importconfig.php:5

[Sat Apr 01 16:03:14.930395 2023] [fcgid:warn] [pid 161636:tid

3675631572736] [client 186.155.18.58:23428] mod_fcgid: stderr: Stack

trace:

[Sat Apr 01 16:03:14.930436 2023] [fcgid:warn] [pid 161636:tid

3675631572736] [client 186.155.18.58:23428] mod_fcgid: stderr: #0

/home/labrat2894/quiettoad.net/genealogy/admin_diagnostics.php(5):

include()

[Sat Apr 01 16:03:14.930504 2023] [fcgid:warn] [pid 161636:tid

3675631572736] [client 186.155.18.58:23428] mod_fcgid: stderr: #1 {main}

[Sat Apr 01 16:03:14.930543 2023] [fcgid:warn] [pid 161636:tid

3675631572736] [client 186.155.18.58:23428] mod_fcgid: stderr:    thrown

in /home/labrat2894/quiettoad.net/genealogy/importconfig.php on line 5

 

In the meantime, I have rolled back to PHP 7.4, and the site should be

working better. However, by using this PHP version, the account will have

added PHP Extended Suport, which allows the option to run older versions

of PHP. This will be added soon, if you keep on using this PHP version."

 

Both pages are loading now. DH will start charging me to keep PHP 7.4.    It would be nice if this worked better on the newer versions of PHP and MySQL. If I wasn't swamped with other issues in my life right now, I'd go learn more about these changes to PHP. I hope this information can help others that might be having problems.

 

-Laura

[edglimited]

32 minutes ago, labrat said:

Both pages are loading now. DH will start charging me to keep PHP 7.4.

How considerate of them. I would be sending them an email letting them know, I'm moving to another Host.

You should be able to access cPanel within DH. If you can then (your choice), you could update to PHP8.0 (see if they charge you for that).
TNG14 will also run on PHP8.0  ..but I don't use it, as my Site's are heavily modified. My genlib.php file's are held together by dust and a single cobweb.

TNG will also run on PHP8.2 but I cant get it to function, both my Sites crash..

Drew..

[Katryne]

Hello !

About hosting providers charging extra fees for maintaining obsolete version of php :

My sites have been hosted by 1&1/Ionos since 2005. Fees are really moderate and service is perfect. My 2 contracts specify that I would be charged extra fees (today, 10€/10$ per month) if I want to use "obsolete php versions", meaning that are no more maintained, updated any more. Main argument being safety reasons.

I have known this from the begining, I know about the deadlines, because I am (was) a lawyer by trade and always read the smaller characters lines of a contract. In addition to the warning in the contract, I read on their site the details of the planning of the php versions and I know the dates beyond which I will have to pay more for the maintenance of an obsolete version. Moreover, they sent me each time several mails specifying that in one year, in 6 months, in one month, I will have to pay more if I keep to an oldish php.

But when the deadline comes, they won't automatically upgrade the php version, they just would charge me extra. I suppose it is a kind of compensation for the low price of hosting. You just need to know, you just need to read, the contract and your mails.

PHP 8 was really challenging. I have been working over my sites (more than a dozen made with 6 different CMS) for 8 months. working on the container, I neglected the content all this time. And it's not quite over yet. I was eager to start producing content again.

[labrat]

So I'm not seeing anything about the problems with these two pages. I don't know how to interpret the error messages too well, but it seems like someone should be able to tell me if the code in these two pages can be fixed or if the problem is some setting on the host side. 

If the problem is with the code, why am I not seeing more reports of this problem? Is it something I can fix? If the problem is something on the host side, can someone let me know what to ask them to help me with?

PHP Fatalerror:    Uncaught Error: Undefined constant "chdate" in

/home/labrat2894/quiettoad.net/genealogy/importconfig.php:5

 

The above is the only thing I come close to understanding. Why is the constant undefined?

It would be really nice if this would work on PHP 8.1 so I don't have to run an outdated version of PHP on my host.

 

Thanks for any input you can give me.

[RickM]

Laura

Apologies for asking this, but! What Mods are you using?? Perhaps one of them is causing a 'clash'??

Looking at my importconfig.php file "chdate" is on line 9 NOT line 5 (if I read the error correctly).

Is it possible to go to a higher level of PHP?? Perhaps v8.2.x . I did read that 8.1.x was actually quite buggie..

Have you actually replaced the admin_dataimport.php, importconfig.php and admin_diagnostics.php files with clean files, from a fresh zip download of TNG v14.0.1 FULL, using FTP??

I'm also pretty sure I have read that TNG v14 and higher using PHP v8.x.x is recommended.

PM if you would like further help.

[labrat]

Thank you Rick. I will try that and let you know. I'm sure things have gotten a bit wonky as I have been doing updates since my first installation quite some time ago. Thankfully, I always download the full version, too, when I download the updates.

[labrat]

Ah! Making progress. When I did that and tried the export, it didn't work. I ran the diagnostics and they say the gedcom folder doesn't exist. I looked and I have a gc folder, not gedcom. Not sure how to fix this without causing more problems.

Laura

[Ken Roy]

Laura,

The GEDCOM folder is specified in the Admin > Setup > Import Settings so you will need to update the Import Settings to point to your gc folder

See Getting Started guide on the TNG Wiki

[labrat]

I'm back on PHP 8.1 and things seem to be working now.

Thank you all for your help!