[Solved] Some MD5 checksums fail

[Charles Butcher]

Any suggestions as to why 404 of my files fail the MD5 part of the system verification test?

I can't see any pattern. Many of the failing files are for language localisation (e.g. everything under /modules/ModuleManager/lang/ext/ and /modules/CMSMailer/lang/ext/). Others aren't (e.g. /modules/nuSOAP/classes/nusoap.php and /modules/TinyMCE/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/advhr/rule.htm).

I have been running CMSms successfully since 1.4 or before, and am now on 1.8.2. I have always had similar problems with verification. I work via FTP, which I know is not always reliable, but apart from some permissions issues it has always worked fine for me. And for 1.8 (or was it 1.8.1 too?) it was a clean install, because there was no diff release.

I tested on my local machine by running MD5 on one of the failing files. It matched the value in the checksum.dat file. I uploaded it via FTP, downloaded it again, and got a different checksum. So something in the FTP procedure seems to be causing the problem. But why doesn't it affect all files?

I'm sure some of my ownerships and permissions are not as they should be, but MD5 doesn't check those, does it? And the site always seems to work fine.

Any advice appreciated. The verification process obviously isn't essential, but it would be nice to have that comfort!

[replytomk3]

You should not use FTP. It's slow, and prone to errors and failure. My website (in my signature) and wiki documentation both recommend using your hosting panel's file editor to extract archives, or using SSH. Shell is invaluable in quick and simple backups, extractions, and database imports/exports.

[Charles Butcher]

You should not use FTP. It's slow, and prone to errors and failure. My website (in my signature) and wiki documentation both recommend using your hosting panel's file editor to extract archives, or using SSH. Shell is invaluable in quick and simple backups, extractions, and database imports/exports

Understood, but I am stuck with Plesk, which AFAIK still cannot extract archives, and shell access is out of the question. There must be a lot of people in a similar situation.

I know it may be possible to use PHP to unzip files on the server, but so far I've not found a script that works for me. Suggestions welcome. (I use PHP successfully to delete stuff owned by apache that my FTP program won't touch.)

I have been using a Mac FTP client called Transmit, and in all other respects it has been brilliant. Since the site works, I may have to give up on the validation thing -- but it seems a shame.

[replytomk3]

Can't speak on Transmit, but just in case, I would try another OS and program. Filezilla on Windows, for example. And BTW, now you find out why you don't choose cheap hosting without SSH. How can I hammer this into the head of everybody else???

[Charles Butcher]

Can't speak on Transmit, but just in case, I would try another OS and program. Filezilla on Windows, for example.

Good advice. I tried forcing Transmit to use binary mode, uploading and downloading a single test file, and it turned up back on my desktop with the same MD5 hash. "Auto" mode with the same file didn't work. Don't know why some files are OK and some not, but at least I think I've found a cure.

And BTW, now you find out why you don't choose cheap hosting without SSH.

With respect, this has to do with the philosophy of what CMSms is for and who should be using it. I'm not a programmer or a skilled sysadmin, and I built a CMSms site for a small community that probably could not afford better hosting even if I'd known this would be useful when I started.

To quote from the Features page, "Minimal server requirements ... Friendly support in forums and irc". Thanks to you and all the other clever people on here who make this excellent CMS accessible to learners.

[replytomk3]

With respect, this has to do with the philosophy of what CMSms is for and who should be using it. I'm not a programmer or a skilled sysadmin, and I built a CMSms site for a small community that probably could not afford better hosting even if I'd known this would be useful when I started.

To quote from the Features page, "Minimal server requirements ... Friendly support in forums and irc". Thanks to you and all the other clever people on here who make this excellent CMS accessible to learners.

Actually, the difference between BAD and GOOD hosting is a couple of dollars each month and due diligence when selecting your hosting provider.