Joomla! Discussion Forums

Hi

I too am suffereing due to the session save path issue

I've read this whole thread many times trying to understand how to create a session save path using IIS, MySQL and PHP5 on localhost

But every method i try i either get an error or it just doesn't work 

i also have 3 'session.save_path' in my php.ini file in the WINDOWS directory, which value should i edit ?

thanks to all that helped, the path i was looking for was /inetpub/wwwroot/tmp

I have had this issue now with 1.0.11, 1.0.12 & 1.0.13 from  time to time, on fresh installs which were EXACTLY the same configs as others which were working.
While a writeable session save path is certainly necessary at all times for the backend login, there is only 1 thing that fixes this for me _when_  it happens (sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't):

    Use MySQL Admin, repair the database in question (use: maintenance - repair tables - extended - repair tables)

In combination with
- a sessions dir inside joomla which is writeable
- sef set to ON (1) in configuration.php
- .htaccess with the line
      php_value session.save_path "/(joomla_ path)/sessions"

Hope this works for other people as well

I too experienced this problem moving all my sites from Fedora 2 to 6. Due to security reasons access to the /tmp directory was discontinued and session writing was moved to /var/lib/php/sessions which had access set to 700 and user/group set to root:apache. Under these privileges joomla cannot right a session to this path.

My solution was simple as I had root access. I ignored the message joomla displayed during installation regarding the session save path and change the access to  /var/lib/php/sessions to 770. Try to get your hosting provider to change this if you do not have root access. If you do not have root access and you can't get the access to the sessions directory then I strongly suggest you use Dean's solution on page 1 of this thread (i.e. just ignore the warning during installation and change the session save path to local).

Hope this helps in some way.

My webhosts are no help.... I want to configure the php file but that doesn't generate until after I have finished installing the site... how else can I configure the session paths?

Hi guys,

My site had been working great for three weeks when I suddenly got the "invalid session" error when trying to login to administration/backend. I also got an error about cookies in frontend when entering the shoppingcart in virtuemart.
The only thing I had done was edit one of the templatefiles in virtuemart productpage trough Joomlaxplorer.
I deleted the whole content of my public_html, uploaded a backup from the day before and replaced the database with my latest backup. Same problem persisted, leading me to believe that the problem should be outside of my joomla installation.

My ISP said they had not done anything special but that the default sessiondirectory is puclib and used by many sites. He had heard about the problem before and recommended I createdmy own session directory. Trough this thread read about putting the session save path in .htaccess. It works fine now and the support at my ISP claims it is better this way (no sessions colliding with other pages).

So tonight the site will be launched, I hope it works out...

Thx for the info and suggestions I found in this thread!

I get the same errors as you did ....I have just gone and done this as suggested by tommygj in this thread...

1. Create a folder called '/tmp' in the root of my website.
2. Opened globals.php
3. Inserted at the very top:(i put it right after ini_set('session.save_path','/http://mysite/tmp/');

and uploaded it ....it hasn't yielded any results though... are there any suggestions you could give me

Well,

I just created the folder "sessions" in my public_html and added "session_save_path('/path/to/joomla/sessions');" where patch to joomla is the same as in config.php but with "sessions" at the end.

I didn't touch global.php or anything else.

Also, I got a mail from my ISP who found out they DID have a problem with sessions that they solved. He recommende I keep this solution though, to be less dependent on the shared sessions directory they use for all theoir client. There is always the risk that two simultanues session save attempts from two different joomla installations conflict...

Did you use the current public.html ....or you created one of your own... and what foler did you put it in?

Cheers

Hi.

At my ISP it works like this:
mysite.com is root catalogue. It contains public_html which is were I put my site. The directory public_html was already there.

I see ...i'll check that my site has it too...

I have joomla installed locally ( I am not having any issues with log-in as admin), although it does indicate that I have an UNWRITEABLE session path.  I have access to my php.ini file.  Can you suggest the proper fix?  Thanks!

UPDATE:  I just uncommented (removed the ; ) from in front of ;session.save_path = "/tmp" to session.save_path = "/tmp"
All is fine.  So for the kiddies at home, if working locally and having this pesky issue, just uncomment the session.save_path = "/tmp" from your php.ini file.

to Tommygj -- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!  Finally a solution that works :)  And just to save all those who may be using a windows IIS server rather than apache that are newbies and you're head is rolling by now with all the server speak, here you go.  I use Crystaltech.com as my host and here are the instructions for the session save path fix using tommygi's solution but notated for windows IIS along with Crystal techs support's recommendations for increased security with a workaround -- hope it saves someone else the endless hours I've wasted on this :). [You can plug in your own ftp software, html editor as you see fit -- I use Dreamweaver and CuteFTP)

Session Save Path error Instructions --
- Using Dreamweaver or cuteftp, create and add a “tmp” folder to your site root directory (you can use any name you want for tmp folder. ) (This is your website main directory, not to be confused with a root server directory that I've seen others reference).

- Go back into Crystaltech webcontrolcenter and click on IIS > IIS PERMISSIONS > scroll down and click on the tmp folder you added, making sure it shows up in the “selected path”, then make sure “Allow Anonymous Access” is UNCHECKED. (this will prevent people from being able to browse to the tmp folder and contents - security measure tech support recommended)

- Next, in webcontrolcenter, go to SITE > FILE PERMISSIONS > and select the tmp folder you added and confirm that you (the owner, not everyone, or aspnet options) have read write delete execute permissions. (Note crystaltech is windows servers and the CHMOD settings in ftp programs do not work so you have to manually check this.)

- In webcontrolcenter, go to SITE > SITE OVERVIEW > and in the SITE OVERVIEW box at the top, the last entry is “physical site path”. Copy that down.

- Download the globals.php file to Dreamweaver (or other html editor) from the remote site so you can edit it.

-Open the globals.php file and on the line right after “


The phrase physicalsitepath should be replaced with something that looks like ‘D:/inetpub/domain/tmp/’);

NOTES: Domain should be just the root name of the domain minus .com, .net, .info, etc.... Tmp should be name of the folder you created above and include the / at the end. CrystalTech will show your physical site path with the slashes going \ \ \ \ , when you type it into globals.php you want them all going / / / / /

-Save the file, upload the new globals.php file and voila! 

Worked for me! Hope it works for you

Thanks again Tommygy!

I am a newbie using joomla, i have extracted joomla into my host server but following your instruction on making session save path writtable, I need assistance on how i can get create a folder in the configuration.php file.. i just dont understand any of these, please i need halp, i have a client waiting to see their site. i did this successfully with another site i installed earlier on another host different from this one. 

I have problem doing fixing the session_save_path issue on my host, they said they dont provide third party support. Please i need a step by step guide to doing this, I have uploaded all file to the host server.

Hi i am wondering how i should schange my php.ini file i have the permissons to schange it but i don,t now how i am using CentOS as my current os. and like all the other i truley want to get ride of my Session save path  Unwriteable . plees help me. sorry for my very very bad english

I asked my host to make session path writeable and I got the reply "What path are you using for searching?"

It seems they understand less than I do.

How can I explain it to them?

Is there any way I can tell what they need to do?

Or I just quit this host?

I suggest that we all laugh at them publicly here.
Then you point them to this forum - where they see the error of their ways and put things right.

Inform them that 'sessions' on the server have to be stored somewhere or complex scripts like Mambo and Joomla can't function correctly. Point out that a setting in php.ini called 'session.save_path' determines where the files are saved.
The sessions are saved as files so the containing folder (the 'session.save_path') must exist and must be writeable to PHP.

If they still don't get it - then you will have to resort to the action you described previously.

Hope that helps.

Dean

Thank you!!!

I managed to solve the session problem by creating a dedicated session folder outside of the public_html folder and including the following line in the .htaccess file of my Joomla root:

php_value session.save_path '/home/path_to_dedicated_session_folder'

Thank you very much to all the valuable insight shared on this thread!

I have 2 questions still:

The best chmod I can set for the folder is 773, anything stricter and it does not work (does not allow back-end login because it can't write to the folder). Is this secure (since it is outside the public_html folder)?

The second question I have is that this folder is shared by my live site and a test site. This seems to work for now, but I was wondering if there is any problem with 2 (or more) Joomla installations writing to the same session folder?

Appreciate the hack, it works...

dean please help me/........
i have same probelum but my web is online how i can solve this

http://www.asiasourcing.biz/ME/administrator
user admin
pass 123456


i have complete my web 90% so please reply quickly...
i m in deep trouble
hussain

Session Save Path unwritable problem may be solved.

After going in circles with this "save path" problem every time I install or upgrade, a rep at my host did a very simple thing, which seems to solve the problem. He placed a copy of the php.ini in the "Administrator" folder! That's it. Nothing more.

Now, the Session save path: = /tmp (Before, it said "none.") and Session Directory /tmp/ = Writeable.

So if you have access to your site files through "cPanel" or some other way, simply make a copy of "php.ini" (It is in your site's main directory - maybe "public_html") and place the copy in the "Administrator" folder. Then refresh the "System Info" page in Joomla Administrator and check to see if everything is now green.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to delete the semicolon ";" that is in front of the "Session save path: = /tmp" line in the "php.ini" file before you copy the file and place the copy in the "Administrator" folder. You must delete the ";" in order to make it active.

So here is the very simple procedure:

1. Go to your site's main directory ("public_html" or whatever it is)
2. Locate the "php.ini" file and open it for editing.
3. Find the ";Session save path: = /tmp" line and delete the ";" which is the first thing in the line(there will be no " ")
4. Save the "php.ini" file.
5. Copy the "php.ini" file and place the copy in the "Administrator" folder.
6. Log in to your Joomla Administrator and go to the "System Info" page and check to see if the Session save path: = /tmp (Before, it said "none.") and Session Directory /tmp/ = Writeable.

(Make sure you have a "/tmp" folder. If not, create one.)

That's it ... at least it works for me. Good luck.

thanks but i slove that issue early....

I dit it like this:

---------------------------------------------------------
Here's my guide:

1. Open Control Panel (http://www.one.com/admin)
2. Choose Advanced
3. Change these settings:

PHP error messages = On
Click Update

PHP - Register globals = Off
Click Update

Please note that it may take up to 15 minutes before changes take effect.

4. Login to your FTP account
5. Remove all files without the folders (_vti.xxx)
6. Upload all Joomla! files
7. Create a tmp folder (chmod 755)

8. Start your browser.
9. Go to http://www.yourdomain.com/index.php

Pre-installation - Errors:
Session save path = Unwriteable - /tmp
Safe Mode = On

10. Open globals.php

Orginal:
define( 'RG_EMULATION', 1 );

Edit:
define( 'RG_EMULATION', 0 );

Insert this code:
ini_set('session.save_path','/customers/yourdomain.com/yourdomain.com/httpd.www/tmp/')

I used line 14

11. Open your browser.
Click Check Again

You should see this:

Session save path = Writeable
/customers/yourdomain.com/yourdomain.com/httpd.www/tmp/

Note: Safe Mode is still = On

Complete installation steps...
Frontend and Backend should work fine....

Good luck!
---------------------------------------------------------

but when I install new Component ,it still has other error:

when I use "xxxxx.tar.gz" to install new Component,it has a error like this:
Error while opening {/www/XXXXXXX/media/install_47d69685114d3/admin.alberghi.html.php} in write binary mode

when I use "xxxxx.zip" to install new Component,it has a error like this:
ERROR: Could not find an XML setup file in the package.
Installation file not found:
/www/XXXXXXX/media/install_47d734724f5c3/

can help?
3ks

I tried that all but it didnt work.

Firstly I could not find configuration.php all I found was configuration.php-dist. Are the the same?

the I did the change as recommedned in the string and it look like this

$mosConfig_absolute_path = '/path/to/joomla/install'; // No trailing slash
session_save_path('public_html/sessions');
$mosConfig_live_site = 'http://your_joomla_site.com'; // No trailing slash

this is after I have created a folder in Public_HTML

Please help

I'm trying to set up my site on Media Temple (dv), i've got root access to the server and believe I have everything set up right but I'm stuck on the Save Session Path error too.

I'm moving our site from a current (and very lame) provider to Media Temple and after uploading everything and testing the site it was wickedly messed up, lots of modules, images, video and general functions are scattered all over the place, not working or simply not there at all. So I reloaded the joomla install folder to see what was up and after straightening out a few things, resetting some permissions and turning the safe mode off, the last thing i'm left with is the Session Save Path.

Error says:


I've edited the PHP.ini file on the root, the PHP.ini folder in the web folder, edited my .htaccess file, restarted my server and created the vhost.conf that lays out my session path. Nothing seems to work.

Can anybody with success in setting up a site on a Media Temple dedicated virtual server shed a little light on my situation?

Thanks in advance...

as fat_mossie wrote.. i do also not have the configuration.php file and i can't seem to open the configuration.php-dist file.

Can someone please help me what to do?
And make me a step-by-step guide.

My domain is hosted at one.com
And i have downloaded Joomla! 1.5

Thanks in advance

Without a session save path, I was continually getting bumped off and getting an
"Invalid Session" when I would go and run VirtueMart. Adding the line as Dean suggested
solved the problem in my System Info indicating I have a sessions path and it is writable.

Now I still have the problem of of the "Invlaid Session" and I'm required to log in again.
I suspect this will be the same problem on the front end when people go from the site
to the Virtuemart shop.

Dean, do you have any suggestions on solving that?

( I have several Joomla sites on a shared server. I have one account with a /home/cgi-bin
directly. I tried added the php.ini line and file to my account but it did not create the
save session path. In fact, when I run info.php for the domain, it still shows no path.
Yet, adding the line to the Joomla config corrects the problem within Joomla.

Why can't VirtueMart see the save session data?

I hear guys saying you create a folder called tmp in the root folder to solve the seesion save path problem. But what do you put in the folder? There is code like Insert this code:
ini_set('session.save_path','/customers/yourdomain.com/yourdomain.com/httpd.www/tmp/') I have tried using this and it does not work.

Please help.