[Support] Having troubles with package manager?

[Rumbaar]

The package manager makes SMF an easy to use and update, which when it is working without issue.  Works well and saves a lot of time and effort modifying your forum to suit your needs.

But when it does not work, it can be the bane of many administrators.  As there can be so many factors that contribute to Package Manager issues, and each host is unique. We will try to cover the most common issues and solutions, so you can try them and save your time searching the forum or waiting for a support response.

Important threads to look at:
Having problems with mod_security?
Having problems with the package manager?

Permission issues
"Packages directory or one of the files in it are not writable!"
Most times any issues that the Package Manager has is due to permissions and the number one cause of failure.  Either the files/folders of SMF are not at the correct permission level, are not the correct owner or a combination of both.
You can first determine the ownership of your files and make sure they are all owned by your account.  Sometimes due to host configurations they can be owned by Apache, PHP or nobody.  You can get your host to CHOWN all files to the correct ownerships.

This will most times solve many package issues.  One thing to check is the ownership of the particular package trying to be installed and also the files created in the /temp folder.  If they aren't correct it can cause possible issues.

Path issues
Sometimes there can be path issues, where the repair_settings.php tool should be used to reset any applicable paths for your forum.

Log in authentication failed
Uploading of the mod package to your server goes okay, but when prompted for FTP details to allow access to permission restricted files you get a "Log in authentication failed".  This means the current FTP details you've entered are incorrect.  This can be the username and/or password for the FTP account assigned to your hosted service.

Check that your details are 100% and try again.  If you are not sure consult your hosts control panel for FTP details, you are still unsure contact your host for the appropriate information.  It is usually the same FTP details you use in a dedicated FTP client.

Another solution is to CHMOD all files to 777.  This can be done via your FTP client or via the Package Manager of SMF:
1.1
Administration Center->Packages->Options=>Cleanup Permissions
2.0
Administration Center->Packages->File Permissions=>Change File Permissions

If your host is configured with suPHP/mod_fastcgi 755/644 is enough. If your server is configured using mod_php and the files have a different owner (files are owned by an ftpuser, webserver is running under www-data and both are in different groups ) 666 and 777 is the solution..

Installation goes fine without issue, but the files are not updated
Place holder -  As I think this is just an extension of permission issues.

An Error Has Occurred!
The package you tried to upload either is not a valid package or has become corrupted.
This can mean the package is corrupted and you need to try and download it again.  If you are accessing mod directly from within the Administration Center, then try to navigate to the main Customize site and download the mods package directly to your computer.  Once downloaded (unaltered) browse to the file on your computer and try and install the mod once again.

Another issue can be SMF can not create the temp folder in the /Packages folder of SMF.  You should check your Administration Center Error log for any indications of this issue.  Usually errors that contain Failed opening required in them.

Examples:

Code Select Expand

2: fclose(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource
2: fopen(public_html/forum/Sources/Subs.php) [<a href='function.fopen'>function.fopen</a>]: failed to open stream: Permission denied

If the case.  Please manually create the /temp folder under your /Packages folder and CHMOD it to 777.  Then try again.

Test Failed errors
example:

Code Select Expand

1.    Execute Modification    ./Sources/Register.php    Test Failed
[Support] Package Manager mod install, Test Failed error