Got a packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes error message

[Dad.]

Hello all,

I've attached a screenshot to a strange error when I try to import a skin XML file that I built over localhost. The file size is around 72KB, and my server has handled plenty larger than that . Any ideas what is causing this?

Furthermore, it also inserts the skin into the database, but it does't recache/rebuild/insert the correct data, and I've tried as both a parent and a child skin.

Any help would be great, just spent the last 70+ hours straight on this skin

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Paul B]

How many styles do you have installed?

You can try increasing the SQL limit related to that particular variable.

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/server-system-variables.html#sysvar_max_allowed_packet

 

[Dad.]

We have around 15 styles installed.

I just tried updating the board to 1.1.1 and I got the same error.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, it's due to having too many styles installed.

The simplest solution would be to uninstall some styles and reinstall afterwards.

 

[Dad.]

Oh I didn't know there was a limit on how many styles can be installed.

How can I uninstall mid-upgrade? I cannot finish the upgrade.

 

[Jake Bunce]

How can I uninstall mid-upgrade? I cannot finish the upgrade.

There is no simple way to manually uninstall a style. It needs to be done through the Admin CP. I recommend one of the following:

1) Ask your host or server person to increase the max_allowed_packet setting in MySQL. That should allow the rebuild to finish.

2) Revert to a backup from before the upgrade.

 

[Dad.]

Thanks a lot, I shall give that a try. Worst case scenario I just reinstall the board, not a biggie.

What is the maximum number of styles allowed before we get this error?

 

[Jake Bunce]

Thanks a lot, I shall give that a try. Worst case scenario I just reinstall the board, not a biggie.

What is the maximum number of styles allowed before we get this error?

It depends on your server. There is no hard limit, but the rebuild process is intensive enough that you can encounter problems with too many styles. You had problems with 15 styles. Other people have problems with half as many. I would say 5 is always safe.

 

[Forsaken]

Thanks a lot, I shall give that a try. Worst case scenario I just reinstall the board, not a biggie.

What is the maximum number of styles allowed before we get this error?

I've gotten the area with as little as 7 styles, and as many as ~20.

With the new server we moved too we upgraded the packet size to 128mb as between Kim and myself we'll have more than 30 styles by next summer.

This is really the only big complaint I have with the style system.

 

[Dad.]

Thanks for the support everyone. We changed the setting from 1MB to 16MB and now everything works without any problems. I will see how far the 16MB gets us, and I'll try to either post it here or somewhere for people to see.