[wpmu-trac] [WordPress MU Trac] #502: SCRIPT_NAME with CGI script in subdirectory causes failed install

[WordPress MU Trac]

#502: SCRIPT_NAME with CGI script in subdirectory causes failed install
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  alexbcoles  |       Owner:  somebody
     Type:  defect      |      Status:  new     
 Priority:  normal      |   Milestone:  WPMU 1.0
Component:  component1  |     Version:          
 Severity:  normal      |    Keywords:          
------------------------+---------------------------------------------------
 '''Background: '''
 I have had some difficulty trying to install WordPress MU for a client (a
 major university). In this case, PHP is available as CGI, rather than as
 an Apache Module. The {{{_SERVER["SCRIPT_FILENAME"]}}} variable is
 reported as {{{/cgi-php5/php}}}.
 I managed to resolve the issues through use of a workaround - which I
 detail below. In this case

 '''Affected functions: '''
 Initial installation and usage.

 '''Steps to replicate: '''
   * Install Apache.
   * Install PHP as CGI, within a subdirectory of the cgi-bin.
   * Attempt to install WordPress MU.

 ''' Analysis: '''

 The "regular" installation instructions '''will not install''' !WordPress
 MU.

 The problematic _SERVER scoped variables are:
 {{{ _SERVER["SCRIPT_FILENAME"] }}} which is reported as {{{
 /usr/local/opt/php/php-5.2.1/bin/php }}}.
 {{{ _SERVER["SCRIPT_NAME"] }}} which is reported as {{{ /cgi-php5/php }}}.

    * See also http://wordpress.org/support/topic/33564 for how this
 affects a regular (non multiuser) installation of !WordPress.
    * See http://mu.wordpress.org/forums/topic.php?id=5529 for a similar
 issue in a WordPress MU installation.

 The misconfiguration in the generated configuration files includes:
   * $base in generated wp-config.php incorrectly defined as 'cgi-php5'.
   * RewriteBase in generated .htaccess incorrectly defined as 'cgi-php5'.
   * the following database values are set incorrectly:

    tables for multi-user support:
    || '''table name''' || '''column name''' || '''column value''' ||
    || wp_blogs || path || /cgi-php5/ ||
    || wp_site || path || /cgi-php5/ ||

    the default blog:
    || '''table name''' || '''column name''' || '''column value''' ||
    || wp_1_comments || comment_author_url || http://ucl.ac.uk/cgi-php5/ ||
    || wp_1_options || siteurl || http://ucl.ac.uk/cgi-php5/ ||
    || wp_1_options || home  || http://ucl.ac.uk/cgi-php5/ ||
    || wp_1_options || fileupload_url || http://ucl.ac.uk/cgi-php5/files ||


 === Workaround 1 : Possible Manual Workaround ===

 The first attempt was to see if a manual workaround is possible, after an
 incorrect installation:

    1. go through database and fix table values listed above manually.
    2. fix generated '''wp-config.php''':
 {{{
 cp wp-config.php wp-config.php2
 pico wp-config.php2
 }}}
    changing:
 {{{
     $base = '/cgi-php5/';
 }}}
    to:
 {{{
     $base = '/site/blogs/';
 }}}

 {{{
 rm wp-config.php
 }}}
    (select override YES, must be in BASH shell to do this)

 {{{
 mv wp-config.php2 wp-config.php
 chmod 644 wp-config.php
 }}}

     3. fix '''.htaccess'''' by removing it:
  {{{
 rm .htaccess
 }}}
 and replacing with this new '''.htaccess''':
 {{{
     RewriteEngine On
     RewriteBase /site/blogs/


     #uploaded files
     RewriteRule ^(.*/)?files/$ index.php [L]
     RewriteRule ^(.*/)?files/(.*) wp-content/blogs.php?file=$2 [L]

     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
     RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
     RewriteRule . - [L]
     RewriteRule  ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(wp-.*) $2 [L]
     RewriteRule  ^([_0-9a-zA-Z-]+/)?(.*\.php)$ $2 [L]
     RewriteRule . index.php [L]
 }}}
    4. Fix ownership of '''.htaccess'''
 {{{
 chown www-process
 chmod 600 .htaccess
 }}}

 ----

 == Step-By-Step Workaround ==

 === Unsuccessful Installation Removal ===

 ''' WARNING: Before following these instructions, ensure any remnants of
 previous unsuccessful installations are removed: '''
    * remove all database tables.
    * either remove the whole blog directory: {{{ rm -Rf blogs/ }}} or, at
 the very least, remove the following generated files:
 {{{
 rm .htaccess
 rm wp-config.php
 }}}

 === Basic Installation ===

 The first part of the instructions closely mirror the
 [http://mu.wordpress.org/download/ official installation instructions],
 albeit in more detail:

    * create a blank database for !WordPress MU through either the command
 line or phpMyAdmin.
    * login to your account through SSH.
    * switch to the bash shell and cd in to your webdocs directory:
 {{{
 bash
 cd www
 }}}
    * download !WordPress MU:
 {{{
 wget http://mu.wordpress.org/latest.zip
 unzip latest.zip
 }}}
    * rename the directory to whatever you want your URL to appear as.
 {{{
 mv wordpress-mu-1.3 blogs
 }}}
    (In this case if we want http://ucl.ac.uk/dutch/blogs/ for our blogs
 subsite, rename to blogs)
    * clean-up, by removing the zip file:
 {{{
 rm latest.zip
 }}}

 === Patching the Install Files ===

    * At this point, if you follow the regular installation routine for
 !WordPress MU, you would proceed to visit
 http://yoursite.com/subsite/blogs/, which generates all of the required
 configuration files through a web interface. ''' VERY IMPORTANT : don't
 follow this part of the instructions just yet.''' Instead, its necessary
 to patch some of the installer files to make the site work with the
 ucl.ac.uk hosting environment.

   * cd into your blog directory, and open the '''wp-settings.php''' file
 in your favourite text editor (pico in this example, but vi or
 [http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/www_computing/buns/emacs.html emacs] do the job
 equally well, if not better)
 {{{
 cd blogs
 pico wp-settings.php
 }}}

    * at line 68, add the following:
 {{{
 #!php
 // Fix for hosting that sets SCRIPT_FILENAME to something ending in
 /bin/php for all requests
 if ( isset($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']) && (
 strpos($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME'], 'bin/php') ==
 strlen($_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME']) - 7 ) )
         $_SERVER['SCRIPT_FILENAME'] = $_SERVER['PATH_TRANSLATED'];
 }}}
    * and at line 76:
 {{{
 #!php
 if (strpos($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'], 'cgi-php5') !== false)
     unset($_SERVER['PATH_INFO']);
 }}}

    * close and save the files (CTRL/o, followed by CTRL/x in pico)
    * open '''index_install.php''' and replace three instances of
 {{{
 $base = stripslashes( dirname( $_SERVER["SCRIPT_NAME"] ) );
 }}}
    with
 {{{
 $base = stripslashes( dirname( $_SERVER["PHP_SELF"] ) );
 }}}
    (CTRL/W allows you to find in pico)

    * then proceed with installation as normal, first by fixing the
 permissions:
 {{{
 chmod 777 /home/user/www/public/subsite/blogs
 /home/user/www/public/subsite/blogs/wp-content/
 }}}

    * then visit: http://yoursite.com/subsite/blogs/
    * follow the on-screen instructions:
        * select sub-directories for Blog Addresses type.
       * add your database parameters, and site name, etc.
    * your !WordPress MU site should set-up correctly. You can then proceed
 to login as WP admin and set up multiple user blogs.
    * as !WordPress reminds you for security reasons, after the
 installation reset the following directory permissions:
 {{{
 chmod 755 /home/user/www/public/subsite/blogs
 /home/user/www/public/subsite/blogs/wp-content/
 }}}

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://trac.mu.wordpress.org/ticket/502>
WordPress MU Trac <http://mu.wordpress.org/>
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