URL to your eFiction: http://lomarchive.allabouthmpf.com - theoretically.
Version of eFiction: 3.31
Have you bridged eFiction, if so with what?: I don't even know what that means, so I guess no.
Version of PHP: I've looked through my hosting company's FAQs and help manual but couldn't find any definite info on this. Arrgh.
Version of MySQL: MySQL 4.0
Have you searched for your problem: yes, and read a lot of threads, but it seems I'm too clueless to 'get' the answers, really.
If so, what terms did you try: "installation", "installing"
State the nature of your problem: I am trying to reinstall eFiction after deleting what I believed were all of the files and the tables in the database. The installation doesn't seem to be working, though, so I guess maybe I should have gone about deleting it all differently. Maybe I missed something somewhere. Can't see anything, though. Maybe I need to delete the database itself and recreate it?
Also, I kind of have no clue how to install this thing in the first place. I seem to have managed it once before, but that was months ago and I can't remember where I found the relevant info. I was mostly flying by the seat of my pants, that much I remember. I am clueless about PHP, MySQL, CSS, and my HTML knowledge is nine years out of date.
Do you have a test account for us? I don't think the software is properly installed on my webspace.
I would delete everything including the database and re-upload all the files and recreate the database from scratch and start the install again
though really I think we need more info in order to attempt any kind of help...
~Spikey~
my site url: http://www.fanfictionworld.org
efic version:3.5.3
I wish I *had* more info. *g* I uploaded all the files (minus the 'readme.txt') to the directory I've created on my webspace for the archive, and well, you can see the result when you click on the link to where the software/archive/thing *should* be - namely, nothing.
I'm kind of afraid of deleting the database entirely because I'm not sure how to create a new one. (Though possibly it's quite easy - it may be a totally fool-proof, 'click one button' thing - I honestly don't remember. As I said, I have absolutely no experience with this kind of thing, and the previous time I installed eFiction I was, ahem, improvising rather a lot. *g*) It does seem to be completely empty, though. When I go to the database maintenance interface/panel/thing at my webspace provider's website, it says there's 100 MB free out of 100 MB.
Does the database need to have a special name or something, maybe?
Or, for that matter, do I need to create a particular file structure before I upload the files?
Okay, I've deleted and recreated the database now, and deleted and re-uploaded the files. The result is the same as before: just a white, empty page when I go to where the archive/software should be on my webspace ( http://lomarchive.allabouthmpf.com/).
I'm probably missing something really obvious here. Do I need to start the CHMODing before I can actually see anything, perhaps?
Trying to CHMOD now... the readme says:
"1) If you intend to write the story texts to the server or allow image uploads
CHMOD the folder you intend to store the storis in to 777. If this folder is
missing the script will attempt to create it for you during the install."
What folder would that be? I mean, it seems like it's not a folder that is included in the uploaded files, so it seems I have to create it. Is there a default name I should give it? And where should it be - is there a default path?
Sorry about all the questions... I seem to remember all of this working rather more smoothly the first time around. I don't know what I did differently then.
Uhm, just to keep a record of what I'm doing:
Haven't CHMODed anything yet, because I don't know what "the folder you intend to store the stories in" is.
I'm kind of wondering if I should open an extra thread for that question...? But I don't want to spam the forum with my Stupid Person questions.
Were you saving stories into the Stories folder or were you saving them in sql database is what they mean. If you were saving the stories in the stories folder on your webdomain, then ftp into your website and do a chmod 777 on the stories folder in there. If you were saving the stories on the sql database... um, I'm not sure what you do because I store my stories in my stories folder.
******************************************
Mucking around in eFiction since circa 2001 (ver. 1.0)
Now running v.3
BTW, you need to create that folder yourself. Typically, it's put right in the eficiton folder but you can put it pretty much anywhere as long as you use the correct path. You can also name it whatever you like. Most people use "stories" but you can also give it a unique name. That also helps with site security.
Thanks to you both. There aren't actually any stories yet - I'm only just getting started, and the previous installation was never used for its purpose. So... I just make a folder in the same folder that all the efiction files are in and give it a name, and that's it. Okay.
Does anybody have an answer to my main problem, too? Because I still can't see the installation interface I remember from the first time around when I go to my site ( http://lomarchive.allabouthmpf.com), and I just don't know how to proceed from a white page.
A blank white page means you've done something wrong. That typically indicates a syntax error, so I think you need to start over.
I've already started over, with the same result.
(I feel so stupid. Really. I mean... there isn't much one can do wrong, is there? Upload files to directory, and that's it, right?)
Who is your host?
www.1und1.de
Do you think I should contact them about it?
Well, it's in another language, so you need to find out what version of php your host is running on the package you have.
I don't think the version of PHP employed by my host has changed. I've successfully installed eFiction on my webspace once before, a few months ago. Is it likely that there is a PHP problem now if there wasn't then? (I'm asking because, frankly, contacting my hosting company is a massive pain, and, if previous experience is anything to go by, mostly useless. (I think they answered with some weird form letter the last time.)
