New User Needing Help

[Brian]

I looked through the forum topics and didn't notice a problem like mine so hopefully I'm not duplicating another problem already answered.   

I am trying to get jDownloads 3.2.41 setup and working on my church's website to display a list of sermon podcasts on a page of a Joomla site.  It is a list of MP3s aprox 545 files.  It should be straight forward, I think, but I have been pulling my hair out for the last three weeks trying to get something to work.

#1: I used an FTP program to upload the 545 files to the jDownloads root dir.
#2: I created a Category for the MP3 files.
#3: I published the category.

In the Control Panel I click on the "Downloads" menu the page is completely blank.  In the "Files" page there is no files listed at all.  I created a directory in the jDownloads directory with the exact name of the category I created and moved the MP3s there and still no files will show.  I copied the files to the "_uncategorised_files" folder and it caused a MySQL error message, I couldn't access the jDownloads control panel then the site's homepage went blank with the same error message.  After I moved the files out and back to the jDownloads root dir the site and the backend started working normally again. 

I'm not a web developer and I don't do this kind of thing for a living but I am usually good at figuring things out but since I have never used this plugin before I obviously don't know what I'm doing or my thinking process of how I expect this to work is 180° opposite of the way this plugin actually works. 

I was expecting to copy the MP3 files to a directory on the server, point the plugin to that directory, create a link on the homepage and have jDownloads list all of the MP3s for people to download.  It sounds simple but it hasn't been simple so far.  I've attached some screenshots of the major things that may be helpful.  Any help would be appreciated so I can finally start to move forward. 

Thanks

[gelöscht durch Administrator]

[ColinM]

Hi
I will try to assist.  The basic aspect is that jDownloads (jD) is more than just a 'file lister'.  It controls everything through a database.  A Download is not just the file but may also include descriptions, images, previews of video and audio, and many other items.  The final result however is the file that is downloadable.

So if files are moved about 'manually' then jD does not know and the result is ....  So how do we go from here? But before sorting that out I would suggest that you consider the users view in having a single list of 500 or so Downloads.  If I was in your position I would want to break them into different "classes" or in jD terms categories.  It could simply be by say year, or it could be by main topic, or by the preacher, or some other criterion.  Whilst it may be a lot of work I would endeavour to have a brief description of each Download because then a user could search the descriptions to determine the subset relevant to them.  And of course I would think about adding 'tags' as another means of classifying.  All possible and all can be done over a period of time.

Basically it is probably simpler to almost start again! But without having to re-upload your existing files.

First in jD Config - Downloads tab ensure that fields "Delete images from deleted Downloads?" and "Delete preview files from any deleted Download?" are both set to No.  This may not be important as I suspect you do not have any images or previews.

When jD is uninstalled then the files you have uploaded are, by design, left on the web server in directory jdownloads. 
So first Uninstall jD completely.  Please see the following article but rather than deleting the jdownloads file rename it. 
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/how-to-uninstall-all-of-jdownloads

Note that with Joomla! 3.2 then the Assets table should have been cleaned up automatically.

After uninstalling  rename the file jDownloads to something else, say jdownloadsOLD. Similarly with images/jdownloads

To check the Database I suggest you go to Extensions - Manage - Database and use Fix

Now re-install jD.

When jD has been re-installed then in Config - Monitoring Tab set field "Download directory monitoring?" to No and field "Automatically publish Downloads?" to Yes.  Also check  in Config - Files and Folders tab that field "Create the directory name for a category automatically?" is set to Yes.
Now goto the jD Categories from the jD Control Panel and create your top level Categories with appropriate names.  For the time being I will assume that all the files are publicly downloadable.  If that is not the case then please let me know and I will suggest how you should set up the Joomla! permissions.

Now populate the categories with some of the files by moving them from the jdownloadsOLD sub directory to the relevant new sub directory of jdownloads.  But only transfer say 50 or 100 or so at a time because they are large files and with a large number of files your server might time out and that has been known to create a problem.  This is not a jD limitation as people have moved many 100's of files but I am being cautious!  After moving a batch of files then go to the jD Control panel and select the Status tab on the right hand side panel.  Then click on the "Check Download area now." link and you should the report of your files being made into Downloads.

Before starting with the next batch go to Joomla! menus and create a menu item "List All Categories" - jD needs this.  You can then use that menu item to check that the Downloads actioned so far are present and are downloadable.
Just then load up successive batches with 'manual' Monitoring after each batch.

Hope this helps.

Colin

[Brian]

Thank you very much for the explanation! 

I uninstalled the extension and changed the jDownloads directory on the server to jDownloadsOLD as suggested.  The Joomla extension manager froze up during the uninstall, when it finally came back up it showed several errors but also showed that it had been uninstalled.  After that my site was running slow and giving me  "Error displaying the error page: Application Instantiation Error: Could not connect to MySQL."  Every time I would go to the extension manager I would get this error.  I eventually was able to get jDownloads reinstalled.  Now when I go to the jDownloads control panel and click on Downloads or files, ect I get "Error displaying the error page: Application Instantiation Error: Could not connect to MySQL."  Sometimes I will click on something in the control panel and it will work then when I try to go back the the control panel I will get the error.  I think need some way to remove whatever jDownloads did to my database.  I'm not sure what to do now to fix the problems.  Thanks.

[ColinM]

Hi
I should have emphasized the sequence

So Uninstall jD and then rename the file jDownloads to something else, say jdownloadsOLD.

Also I should have realised from what you said about your experience that I should have directed you to
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/how-to-uninstall-all-of-jdownloads

Yes we now need to clean up the database.   Do you have a backup as that might be the simplest way?

If not please make a full site backup.

To clean up the database go to Extensions and select Manage,  then select Database and click on Fix
That should repair the database.

However I think after using the database repair then  jD should be uninstalled again - please also see
http://www.jdownloads.net/documentations/item/how-to-uninstall-all-of-jdownloads

If you are not sure how to do the database removal in cPanel using phpMyAdmin then please let me know.  Note that with Joomla! 3.2 then the Assets table should have been cleaned up automatically

Next repeat the database repair - I think that will show no faults but we need to be sure.

Again Rename or Delete the jdownloads directory, and also the images/jdownloads directory.

Then try once more.

Colin
PS I will edit my earlier post in case anyone else reads it!!

[Brian]

Thank you very much again for your help. 

I looked and my provider keeps backups so I was able to restore the DB from Friday's backup.  It's getting late here so I won't be able to do much more tonight, I also don't what to screw things up anymore at this time of night so I will pick things up again tomorrow after work.  The website back end seems to be still running slow when I go from one page to another but at least I'm not getting the MySQL errors anymore. . .  So far anyway, I'll have to test more tomorrow.


I'll be sure to read the uninstall instructions carefully so I don't screw things up again.

Thanks again for all of your time and help.

Spoke too soon.  I went back and clicked on "Files" and got the same MySQL error as before.  Funny thing is it didn't give me that error right after I restored the DB when I clicked on it the first time.  So far that is the only item that has given me the error.

[ColinM]

Brian
It is almost certain that jD is confused so try again after the uninstall.
Colin

[Brian]

Hello again.  I followed the uninstall instructions sentence by sentence and successfully removed the extension and removed the jDownloads items from the database.  I have been still getting the MySQL error message sometimes on the back end when I go to a page then click the back button, then I reload the page and I have to login again.  At least it hasn't locked up the site like it was before, so far.  I ran a check on the DB, it didn't say there were any problems and I also ran the "Fix" routine twice but it didn't appear anything needed fixing as far as I can tell.  My site should be back to normal so I'm not sure why I would be getting these MySQL  messages.

I'll have to see if I can reinstall jDownloads tomorrow, I've had enough for today.

Thanks again.

[Arno]

Hi,
maybe would it be easier when you give Colin or me all required login data for your Joomla backend, FTP and phpmyadmin (via PM). Then we should get it ready (when your server requirements are given). 

[Brian]

Hello.  Thank you, I'll see about sending my info.  I imagine someone familiar with this can do in 5 minutes what I've been trying to get working in 5 weeks.

I'm also trying to figure out a MySQL error that seems pop up when I refresh the plugin page on the backend, I believe it's related the previous jDownloads install.  I sometimes get a blank page with the words "Error displaying the error page: Application Instantiation Error: Could not connect to MySQL.".  One time I refreshed the page several times in a row when that error appeared and got a page with the following:
"An error has occurred.

    126 Incorrect key file for table '/ramdisk/mysql/tmp/#sql_5673_5.MYI'; try to repair it SQL=SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `rw5v9_extensions`".
I don't know if that is the cause of the error or I caused it just because I was refreshing the page while the error was displayed.  I was looking through the tables in phpMyAdmin and didn't see anything out of the ordinary, at least with what little I know. Since it is referring to a ramdisk tmp file that is probably somewhere else on the server.

[Arno]

Hi Brian,

I believe it's related the previous jDownloads install

I think not. Your error messages are also on pages which have nothing to do with jD. But not every time. More randomly.

I'm also trying to figure out a MySQL error that seems pop up when I refresh the plugin page on the backend, I believe it's related the previous jDownloads install.  I sometimes get a blank page with the words "Error displaying the error page: Application Instantiation Error: Could not connect to MySQL.".  One time I refreshed the page several times in a row when that error appeared and got a page with the following:
"An error has occurred.

It seems for me that your Joomla installation is not correct at all.

Your described SQL errors are not normaly. I get also in your backend again and again (on many pages):
Error displaying the error page: Application Instantiation Error: Could not connect to MySQL.

So you should contact your hoster that he can check the server logs and the MySQL logs.

We can first start with jD when the DB problems are solved from your hoster.
Must be used the ramdisk?
Give your hoster also the hint, that your website is very, very slow. Every request needs 30 seconds. Horrible.

 

[Arno]

By the way, in the moment is jDownloads not installed - so can not be jDownloads the reason. 

[Brian]

I was thinking that jDownloads may be involved because when it was first installed while I was trying to get it to work, I was copying the MP3s from one directory to another trying to get jDownloads to display the MP3s.  I copied the MP3s from the current MP3 dir to the jDownloads root folder, then went back to jDownloads on the backend trying to display the list of files and when I went to the "Files" page in jDownloads I first got the MySQL error and the site was very slow.  Whenever I finally got the site to load I said "this can't be right" so I moved the MP3s back to their current MP3 directory to fix the problem, which it did, sort of, but I have been having these MySQL errors ever since.  After completely uninstalling jDownloads and removing the tables from the database I thought that would correct the problem.  It did improve things a good bit but as you saw something is wrong somewhere.

I will try to contact my provider, sometimes they don't seem to be very helpful.

Thanks for looking.

[Arno]

I will try to contact my provider, sometimes they don't seem to be very helpful.

Then they should threaten to switch to another (and faster) hoster.

[Brian]

I contacted the technical support people, they were not very helpful as predicted, at least the kind of help I was looking for.  They're recommendation was to optimize my site, that will fix all of my problems, with little explanation.  However they did point out that my DB was over 420 MB.  That got me looking more closely at my DB, as to why it was so big, something I hadn't realized before.  I had seen before that it was 420 MB but I didn't give it much thought, I didn't really know if that was normal or not, apparently not. 

One of the plugins I have is for comments.  I found that the comments table had 180,000 rows and was 380 MB in size.  Apparently people have found my site and have been cramming the comments with tons of spam links for the last several months.  After clearing out the spam my DB went down to 14 MB.  I also started looking at the processes, the /ramdisk/ error I got before I noticed that /ramdisk/ showed up in the processes whenever I would refresh a page or load a page, I guess the server uses a ramdisk for various processes.  Who knows.

My guess is all of those spam comments was causing the site to run slow and the server may have been timing out waiting on the database.  I could be wrong.

I haven't been getting the MySQL error since I cleaned out the comments table, so far, but sometimes the pages do seem to load a little slow and sometimes not.  I'm not sure why it's slow and sometimes not since my DB is now around 20 MB in size.

If you have the time and want to try to look at my site again it would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Arno]

Hi Brian,
many thanks for the posted result. So i will try to solve the jDownloads problem over Easter.