# Dedicated Server - info and problems



## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

[Post any previously unreported problems you may encounter with this bbs installation in this thread.  Please do not post general discussion about the new server in this thread - use the New server - general discussion thread instead.]

On July 24, 2006 we began hosting the bulletin board on our own new dedicated server. There is nothing but TUG on this server, so we won't get bogged down by other websites sharing the same server, as we had with our previous shared host.

Accordingly, we've re-enabled the options that we had previously disabled to conserve server load:
avatars in posts
list of who's online at bottom of home page
list of logged in users viewing a forum at bottom of forum homepage
showing an arrow on the icon for threads you've posted in
colored icons for "hot threads" (>25 posts and/or >500 views)

Anticipated problems:
If you are currently accessing the board via the temporary URL that utilizes 69.16.236.4 instead of tugbbs.com, hyperlinks in the bbs intended to take you to other messages or other parts of the bbs will take you to the deactivated board on the old server if the URL in those links refers to tugbbs.com.   This will automatically cure itself when the tugbbs.com domain relocation reaches your internet provider's system and you start accessing the board via the normal tugbbs.com address. If you're still coming in via the temporary link to 69.16.236.4, and want to force your computer to go to the correct server see this thread:
Link for those using temporary link to 69.16.236.4
Link for those coming in via [noparse]www.tugbbs.com[/noparse]​ 

Your automatic login and/or indicators of new posts may give you some problems at first.  If so, it is because your system is confusing information in cookies from THIS server with information in cookies from our PREVIOUS server.  [Note: This same problem may occur if you intially came to the new server via the 69.16.236.4 address and are now coming in via the tugbbs.com address.]  Try this to get things working correctly:
After logging in manually, try logging off the board to delete the cookie. You'll find the Log Out link at the right end of the blue bar near the top of the page. Then log back in manually with 'Remember Me' checked.
If the above step doesn't get things working, you may need to delete your cookies manually and start over. See this FAQ article for help with this:
 Link for those using temporary link to 69.16.236.4
Link for those coming in via [noparse]www.tugbbs.com[/noparse]


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## PerryM (Jul 24, 2006)

*Avatar problems*

Trying to upload an avatar - tried 20+ times.

Avatar is equal to or less than 80 X 80

Size is less than 19k

Get the same error: Unable to save avatar

How are you guys doing it?

Thanks


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				PerryM said:
			
		

> Get the same error: Unable to save avatar
> 
> How are you guys doing it?
> 
> Thanks



Perry - the avatars you are seeing now were avatars that were copied over from the old server.  Never thought to try uploading one here.  Let me look into it.

[Edit - I have the same problem.  Hang on, I'm sure I'll be able to get this tracked down soon]


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## michaelsmalley (Jul 24, 2006)

I cannot get to my private messages.  Is that just a temporary problem today and will it go away when things are up and running.  Thanks.

Mike S.


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

michaelsmalley said:
			
		

> I cannot get to my private messages.  Is that just a temporary problem today and will it go away when things are up and running.  Thanks.



I'm getting to mine without problems, and can do the same in a test user account with no special privileges.

How are you trying to get to your private messages?  Until the name server on your ISP gets updated with the new location of tugbbs.com, *links in email notifications* will send you to tugbbs.com, but your ISP will send you to the old, deactivated board because it does not have the new tugbbs.com address yet.  

Try using the Private Messages link below your welcome message near the upper right corner of this page (must be logged on at the time).


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*

Perry - try uploading your avatar now.  Permissions weren't set properly on the folder that receives custom avatars.


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## TUGBrian (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*

test avatar upload =)

I think we have a winner!


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## Bill4728 (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*

TUG Improvements

How many different avatars are you going to try out?  Isn't this the fourth today?


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## TUGBrian (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*

apparently it was actually working when it said it wasnt....sorry about that =)


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## Bill4728 (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*

OK, I do have a couple of problems.

1. When I do a post quick reply,  my avatar and other images don't correct show up. ( they only show up correctly after I refresh the screen.
2. How do I upload my own avatar? (although I think I may stay with that pretty cat)


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## Karen G (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Bill4728 said:
			
		

> How do I upload my own avatar?



Yes, please tell us how to upload a custom avatar?
TIA


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Bill4728 said:
			
		

> 2. How do I upload my own avatar? (although I think I may stay with that pretty cat)



Like all other settings dealing with your specific account, you access it via the User Control Panel (User CP link in the blue navigation bar near the top of the page).

Once there, find the "Edit Avatar" link down the left side.  (Bill - this is where you chose your original avatar from the stock ones we provided.)  There is a "Custom Avatar" box at the bottom of that page where you can upload your own avatar file - either from a file on your system, or from an URL where the file exists on the web.


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Bill4728 said:
			
		

> 1. When I do a post quick reply,  my avatar and other images don't correct show up. ( they only show up correctly after I refresh the screen.



Quick-reply works soley in your browser in the existing page, using javascript, as opposed to the full advanced editor which downloads a separate reply-entry into which you enter your message, then submit the form.

In addition, if your browser supports something called Ajax technology, it will submit your quick reply and just repaint your page without downloading it again.

My avatar and smilies show up here the instant the the submitted quick reply is posted, using Firefox.  Works the same whether I preview the post first or just post after I'm done typing.

Don't know what to tell ya.  Perhaps different browsers handle images in an Ajax-enabled page differently, although I just had identical results using MSIE 6.0.


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## Karen G (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Makai Guy said:
			
		

> There is a "Custom Avatar" box at the bottom of that page where you can upload your own avatar file - either from a file on your system, or from an URL where the file exists on the web.


I don't see anything like that.  I click on 'Edit Avatar' and then I see the five pages of stock avatars. But I don't see anything else at the bottom of the page.


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## Makai Guy (Jul 24, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Karen G said:
			
		

> I don't see anything like that.  I click on 'Edit Avatar' and then I see the five pages of stock avatars. But I don't see anything else at the bottom of the page.



Try it again.  I didn't have the permissions set correctly for the Moderator usergroup.


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## Karen G (Jul 24, 2006)

Thanks, Doug! I see it now.


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## Bill4728 (Jul 25, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Makai Guy said:
			
		

> Like all other settings dealing with your specific account, you access it via the User Control Panel (User CP link in the blue navigation bar near the top of the page).
> 
> Once there, find the "Edit Avatar" link down the left side.  (Bill - this is where you chose your original avatar from the stock ones we provided.)  There is a "Custom Avatar" box at the bottom of that page where you can upload your own avatar file - either from a file on your system, or from an URL where the file exists on the web.



Doug,

You're pulling my leg aren't you.  

 That box wasn't there yesterday.  Was it??


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## Makai Guy (Jul 25, 2006)

*Re: Avatar problems*



			
				Bill4728 said:
			
		

> Doug,
> 
> You're pulling my leg aren't you.
> 
> That box wasn't there yesterday.  Was it??



Back up a couple of replies to http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showpost.php?p=198191&postcount=16


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## Makai Guy (Jul 25, 2006)

If you're still coming in via the temporary link to 69.16.236.4, and want to force your computer to go to the correct server see this thread:
Link for those using temporary link to 69.16.236.4
Link for those coming in via [noparse]www.tugbbs.com[/noparse]

(This information also edited into first post in thread.)


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## Sylvia W (Jul 26, 2006)

*Re: New server - general discussion*

New server look great.  We really appreciate your hard work for TUG.  One problem I had - when the new server was started it had my old email address even though I had changed it and even checked reviews I had done and found they were updated with my new email address.  I went into my profile and changed it one more time and then also changed my password.  I was sent a verification email which I answered and got the response - thank you etc. etc.  I was able to log in tonight but when I went to post this reply re my email address going back to my old one, I was told I could not post as I had not registered.  I had to go back through my deleted emails and find the registration one and do it all over again!

[_Moving this post, plus my reply, to the "Dedicated Server - info and problems" thread -- mg_]


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## Makai Guy (Jul 26, 2006)

*Re: New server - general discussion*



			
				Sylvia W said:
			
		

> New server look great.  We really appreciate your hard work for TUG.  One problem I had - when the new server was started it had my old email address even though I had changed it and even checked reviews I had done and found they were updated with my new email address.  I went into my profile and changed it one more time and then also changed my password.  I was sent a verification email which I answered and got the response - thank you etc. etc.  I was able to log in tonight but when I went to post this reply re my email address going back to my old one, I was told I could not post as I had not registered.  I had to go back through my deleted emails and find the registration one and do it all over again!



I think you got caught in the middle of the switch between servers.  I note that the OLD server has the same email address for you as is currently listed on the NEW server, meaning BOTH have been updated.  So here's what I suspect happened:

At the time the old bbs was shutdown on Monday morning, you apparently had changed your email address, but had not yet re-activated with your new one.  Your profile, as transferred to the new server, showed you had not yet re-activated your account with your new address.

When you first went to the link provided in the re-activation email, the new tugbbs.com address had not yet reached your ISP, so it took you to the OLD bbs which completed the process of updating your email address THERE.   (Side note - that's interesting, I didn't know it would process those things with the bbs taken offline).  But that had no effect on your active profile HERE, so when you logged in here, it said you had not re-actived yet.  By now, though, the tugbbs.com address change had reached your ISP, so when you went to that link in the email the second time, it took you HERE, and completed the re-activation.

Reviews are a separate database and completely separate from the bbs.  They were not affected by the bbs server change in any way.  Any email address change made for you there was done separately.


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## pedro47 (Jul 27, 2006)

just rec'd an 504 error message www. tugbbs.co Gateway Timeout.

I was attempting to page from  page 1 to page 2 on a thread.


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## Makai Guy (Jul 27, 2006)

pedro47 said:
			
		

> just rec'd an 504 error message www. tugbbs.co Gateway Timeout.
> 
> I was attempting to page from  page 1 to page 2 on a thread.



I've had a couple of odd errors too.  Reloading the page has always gone through instantly.


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## pedro47 (Jul 30, 2006)

This is very strange I can access every Thread on the BBS except one this morning.   Topics: Powhatan (and other Sunterra resorts now has wifi throughtout) error message: 504 www.tugbsb.co Gateway Timeout.


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## pedro47 (Jul 30, 2006)

I cannot edit my last post.  I misspelled the website should be www.tuggbbs.co


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## pedro47 (Jul 30, 2006)

pedro47 said:
			
		

> This is very strange I can access every Thread on the BBS except one this morning.   Topics: Powhatan (and other Sunterra resorts now has wifi throughtout) error message: 504 www.tugbbs.co Gateway Timeout.



I used quote to edit my message


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## Makai Guy (Jul 30, 2006)

Pedro47 - there appear to be some odd timing difficulties that are causing some occasional problems.  As indicated before, try just reloading the page, as this has always worked for me.  Note that your browser may have cached the faulty access attempt and it may attempt to just reload that - you may need to clear your browser's cache if this is happening.

I expect your "www.tugbbs.co" is a typo, and you meant "www.tugbbs.com". (??)

Here's a direct link to the thread you were trying to get to (loaded okay for me):
http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29236


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## SBK (Aug 1, 2006)

pedro47 said:
			
		

> This is very strange I can access every Thread on the BBS except one this morning.   Topics: Powhatan (and other Sunterra resorts now has wifi throughtout) error message: 504 www.tugbsb.co Gateway Timeout.



I am having the same problem with the "Gateway Timeout" message on several threads -- what is the solution?


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## SBK (Aug 1, 2006)

I cannot edit my last post either -- my answer was on page 2, if I had only looked.  Sorry.


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## Makai Guy (Aug 1, 2006)

SBK said:
			
		

> I cannot edit my last post either -- my answer was on page 2, if I had only looked.  Sorry.



Please help us to troubleshoot.

1) This is the second such comment.  What happens when you try to edit?

2) WHAT solution was on page 2?  Reloading the page?  Did it work?  (Pedro47 doesn't seem to report back to let us know if the advice we're giving is any good...)

If any of you receive these Gateway errors, please note the exact wording of the message and report here giving the URL you were trying to reach and the date and time it occurred.  This way we can try to coordinate this with the server logs and try to track down what his happening.


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## pedro47 (Aug 2, 2006)

I signed off and later were able to edit the post.  However, this has not happen again after this past Sunday.

Question should I log off daily.


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## Tadsegsoz (Aug 2, 2006)

Where you get it???


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## Makai Guy (Aug 5, 2006)

pedro47 said:
			
		

> Question should I log off daily.



Sorry, I missed this question on first reading.

I suspect the problems you were having were temporary in nature, caused by some other software* being installed on our server at the time.  If that's the case, then it was just coincidence that logging off and back on seemed to fix it.

If you want the cookies on your system to log you on automatically when you return, DON'T log off when you leave.

*Now that it's been announced, I can tell you the software being installed was the new classified ad system.


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## nightnurse613 (Aug 5, 2006)

the last minute rental forum has BEEN


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## Makai Guy (Aug 5, 2006)

nightnurse613 said:
			
		

> the last minute rental forum has BEEN



Thankee.  Fixed.


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## pedro47 (Aug 9, 2006)

Looks like the edit problem and the gateway timeout problem have been corrected.


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