CAPTCHA Issue

Hi,

I a shared server with 2 Joomla installations one v1.5.14 and 1.5.15. I have installed the same Chronoform component in each Joomla site ChronoForms_V3.1_RC5.5. On the v1.5.14 site CAPTCHA works and on the 1.5.15 does NOT work. The SRC image URL on the 1.5.15 install

http://example.com/components/com_chronocontact/chrono_verification.php?imtype=1

Throws and error 500.

Any thoughts on how to correct this? I have removed ChronoForms and reinstalled with no luck. Again these are on the same server and only difference I can see is the joomla version.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike,

Could be a permissions issue??

I'll install 1.5.15 on a test site in the morning and see if I can replicate?

Bob

Hi,

A permission issue with what file?

Were you able to compare your install?

I did backup the form and restored it on the 1.5.14 install and the form worked fine. I also tried moving a known good form from 1.5.14 to the 1.5.15 joomla install and the image would not view.

Come to think of it the image does not display on the anti-spam tab either on the 1.5.15 install.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi Mike,

I installed Joomla 1.5.15 running on XAMPP and the ImageVerification works OK out of the box.

We haven't seen these problems for a while but from memory there needs to be permission for the chrono_verification.php file to create a png file type.

There is one diagnostic approach in FAQ 30 - the server logs may also give you some clues.

Bob

Hi,

Thanks for checking.

What is so weird is that both sites are the same server. One works the other does not. I get the following error when I call:

http://example.com/components/com_chronocontact/chrono_verification.php?imtype=1

Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, [email]webmaster@example.com[/email] and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

I'll keep testing. Something has to fix it or maybe trash the site and start over.

Mike

Hi,

I did notice one issue. On the site where CAPTCHA works direct access to

chronocontact.php

displays 'Restricted access'

Direct access to the same file on the site where CAPTCHA is not working throws an Internal Server Error 500. The same error when access the chrono_verification.php.

I'll continue to poke at it.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Please check the server logs. Is mod_security (or something similar) enabled on the server?

Permissions relate to the folder, they aren't server wide so it's quite possible that two installations on the same server end up with different settings.

Bob

Hi,

Interesting development after throwing many darts. The Joomla installation with the CAPTCHA not working is also throwing internal error 500 for all direct access to any component file. It should be displaying 'restricted access'.

It turns out that the joomla installation that is not working was installed using 'fantastico' a one-click in staller part of cpanel hosting control panel.

When I run chronoform on a joomla installation downloaded from Joomla.org everything works correctly, including CAPTCHA.

I tried to over write the fantastico install of joomla with the full stable version from joomla.org but that did not make a difference. I'm wondering how to save this web site?

Mike

Hi Mike,

You can try downloading JoomPack and taking a full site backup; or you can take a DB dump, then restore the DB on a fresh installation.

Thsi looks more and more like a permissions problem - I suspect that the Fantastico installation is more 'locked down' than usual. If you can set the whole ChronoForms front end folder to chmod 755 or 777 and see if that clears the error.

Bob

Hi,

Okay, I solved the mystery.

It turns out that the Fantastico installer sets the components folder among other folders to permission 777. My server server runs suPHP. Setting these folders to 755 corrected the internal error 500. CAPTCHA now works properly.

Thanks,
Mike