Beta — Forum Still Unusable

[Gene Steinberg]

Affected version

2.3 beta 5

I have tested the betas on our least-used forum, so I can try it out but can quickly restore the contents if it fails.

It fails every time.

So, trying to use the online upgrade tool fails after the download process, and the forum reverts to a blank screen.

I tried copying the files to the site directly, after disabling all add-ons.

With beta 5, the install worked, I kept the add-ons disabled and tried it, but key functions aren't working. On a post, the Edit button, for example, is non-functional. The Reply screen has no text field or format bars. There's no way to post a message.

Again, I was running with no add-ons enabled.

I'm not happy about this at all.

The site has been reverted.

 

[Jeremy P]

Was this with a default style as well? Were any errors logged in your web server error log (distinct from XF's own server error log)?

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Default style.

I'll check log next time.

 

[Jeremy P]

The white pages are typically fatal errors (likely caused by add-on incompatibilities), so there should be something in the logs about it.

The issues with edit buttons/missing text editors are probably JavaScript related. If you open your browser console (F12/Ctrl+Shift+I) and look at the console tab there may be further clues for those.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

As I said, I disabled the add-ons before installation.

Using Safari for macOS Sonoma.

 

[Jeremy P]

As I said, I disabled the add-ons before installation.

Yeah, I understand. I'm just saying that's likely what caused the blank pages on your initial attempts, and why the one with add-ons disabled succeeded.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

I think you misunderstand. I tried the earlier attempts with add-ons disabled too and it still failed. I only succeeded by manually copying the files over via SFTP.

 

[Jeremy P]

Gotcha, I had wrongly assumed this implied otherwise:

I tried copying the files to the site directly, after disabling all add-ons.

In any case, the logs and any console errors will be instrumental in figuring out where things are going wrong for you.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Next time I do it, I'll check.

 

[Chris D]

Next time, what would be more helpful, is not doing it on a live forum (even if it is least used, and as per the repeated reminders) and running it on a copy of a forum where you don't have to rush to restore it.

Very difficult to troubleshoot something and ultimately doesn't help anyone get the issue fixed.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Well, I have 3 licenses and all are used on active sites.

That would require setting up a fourth setup?

 

[Chris D]

No. You have always been able to use your licenses for development and testing sites in addition to your live sites.

When we tell people to do this, it isn't a sales pitch to increase license sales. It's imploring people to test in a safe way such as duplicating their live site and testing in a separate environment and doing that with an existing license is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Chris D]

From the License agreement:

Before deploying the Software, you must register in the XenForo.com customer area the address (URL) at which You will use the License. This URL must be kept up-to-date. You may create additional test installations for the purpose of testing the Software. Any test installation of this kind must be password protected, installed at a URL that makes the testing purpose clear, not used for production purposes and access to it must be limited to You and Your website staff.