Installing phpList manually: manual chapter feedback and discussion

📚 Documentation
1

Feedback on the following chapter: https://www.phplist.org/manual/ch028_installation.xhtml

2

Please update installation chapter to state the correct charset for the database.

mysql offers quit some choices.

UTF8_*
UTFmb4_*

to make sure umlauts Ă¶Ă€ĂŒĂŸĂȘ work in emails and in website

3

Hi, could you write a sentence on it for me to add in? I don’t really understand this area but if you write it I can get it checked and added :smile:

a
x

4

Hello,
I have a problem with the manual installation. I think I did everything correctly but when I access the browser page mydomine.eu/lists/admin the page is white 

I tried both on safari and on chrome but it’s alway white.
On the ftp server can be charged only the “lists” folder modificated with our sql data, correct?

Can you help me?
Lorenzo

5

Sounds like you might have a syntax error in your lists/config/config.php file

Look for a missing semi colon ( ; ) at the end of a line, or an apostrophe (') in a line of text, or a mis-matched set of quotes, either single or double in the first place.

6

It does not seem there are any syntax errors. But I noticed something. The guide is written to put the “lists” file in the “Public_html” folder that I have not. I then tried to enter it before the “Public” folder, but it did not work (can not find it and returns error). Then I tried to create a “public_html” folder, and gives me the same error.
Do you have other tips?
Thanks.

7

if you have a directory called lists in your root directory (whatever this is called on your server) which is where www.yourdomain.eu is, then phpList would, by default, expect to find it there.

An alternative to Public_html can be Home, it will depend on your hosts set up.

A blank page is usually down to an error in the config file.

8

Wow, I’ve been doing this for a long time (since the last century). First installed pHpList over 10 years ago.
Today: I followed the Manual Installation [Manual Page][1] exactly, until I got to the FTP instructions.

  • According to the Manual Page, the ONLY portion of the unzipped program is this directory:
    » [cite] “Upload this /lists folder into your public_html file on your server.”[/cite]
    That’s the only FILES that has to be Transferred? Really?
    » What about all the rest of the program, it does NOT need to be transferred?
    » How in the world will the core know the URL of the filepath into which I upload the rest of the program?
    Also, I am installing the program into a SUB-Directory of the Domain Name: /php_list_newsletters_management

Q: Is this going to break the code, or not?
Yep, I know I can figure it out myself, but I greatly prefer to do it right the first time. How about some accurate instructions about where to upload the program to?
mit freundlichen grĂŒĂŸen/best regards,
BEFFÂź Administrative Executive
[1]: https://www.phplist.org/manual/ch028_installation.xhtml

9

Yes, the folder and files within the /lists folder contain ALL the working parts of phpList. Upload these files and folders to your web space.

If you want your phplist installation to appear in the root folder of your server (web space) that’s it, job done. Eg: www mydomain.com/lists

Yes, you need to set the database, SMTP values in lists/config/config.php but that is all you need to upload.

Should actually say public_html FOLDER.

10

Thanks Dragonrider,
That was quick, you beat the hell out of every OS I have ever worked with in my life.

To confirm: If I upload only the CONTENTS of “/lists” into the sub-directory of my “ROOT” or “Public-HTML” directory, it will work. Right? I do not need to have a folder named “/lists” — only the CONTENTS of the folder.

Thanks again,
mar

Here is the URL of the application » http://best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/php_list_newsletters_management

Example: the URL of the .HTACCESS file will be » http://best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/php_list_newsletters_management/.htaccess

11

NO, Upload the folder and all it’s contents to your root.
Thus: http://best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/lists otherwise the files could overwrite existing files of the same name.
If you change the phplist folder (directory) to a name other than lists, you’d need to add the following line to your lists/config/config.php file.

# if you change the path to the phpList system, make the change here as well
# path should be relative to the root directory of your webserver (document root)
$pageroot = '/lists';

phpList expects to find itself in root/lists by default, if you change that path, you must change pageroot to match the actual path of your installation.

12

Thanks Dragonrider,

re: “If you change the phplist folder (directory) to a name other than lists, you’d need to add the following line to your lists/config/config.php file.”
> Actually found it in the lists/config/config_extended.php file

I made changes and then inserted it into the last line of the config.php file, and saved changes in UTF-8 format + FTP’ed the changed file.
I noticed that the config.php file opened with: <?php
but that this was left open (no “” ).
Is that okay?

Also, I un-commented the Credits/$stats_collection
 to Cc me personally, by separating with a comma (no blank space). Will the following work?
$stats_collection_address = ‘phplist-stats@phplist.com’,‘xyz@bestfooting.net’;
If not, I will remove my email address.
I did change $pageroot = 
 per your instructions, it should work.

Oh no, just tried to login to Admin - it doesn’t run:

[404] Not Found
The requested URL /php_list_newsletters_management/admin was not found on this server.

I had edited the config.php file with everything 
 Do I now need to replace it with the original/unedited config.php file unchanged (except for the $pageroot = 
 }?

13

To what did you change the $pageroot to?

You say at the start your phplist is at lists/ yet you later say it is at /php_list_newsletters_management/ can you see the difference?

Yes, config.php file opens with <?php and no closing ?>, this is a added security option so I’ve been told.

$stats alteration won’t work as you have it, sorry.

14

Thanks Dragonrider.
regarding 


To what did you change the $pageroot to?
You say at the start your phplist is at lists/ yet you later say it is at /{deleted} can you see the difference?

I did not want to actually publish the URL to the installation, in order to prevent its harvesting by bots (see why below).
Therefore, if the URL of the phpList installation is in a sub-directory of my website.com, named /my_php-list_installation, then the $pageroot is formatted like this 


[uncommented] $pageroot = ‘/my_php-list_installation’;

regarding 


$stats alteration won’t work as you have it, sorry

Okay, thought I would give it a shot. Will leave it as the default.

One last question, regarding 


Oh no, just tried to login to Admin - it doesn’t run:
I had edited the config.php file with everything 
 Do I now need to replace it with the original/unedited config.php file unchanged (except for the $pageroot = 
 }?

The question remains: Do I need to replace my finished/edited config.php file with the original one? If “yes” then will the built-in installer going to give me the opportunity to change the pageroot, or will I be forever stuck with the /list installation URL?

I can send you a copy of my re-edited config.php if you want. I haven’t used IRC for decades, but you can always find my e-mail account (just Google MyName.COM and use the “” link in the bottom center of every webpage’s header frame).

mfg/b. reg,
mark

Why do I want to create a unique URL for my phpList installation?
Because bots will query the “/lists” directory of every registered Domain Name in the world, like this 


every-domain-name-in--the-world.com/lists

If those bots receive any valid reply from that domain name’s server, then the bot KNOWS that this website has an installation of phpList!

If/when a vulnerability/exploit of phpList created, the hack is on for everybody.

I learned the hard way to change installation URLs to hide them from bots, just as I use Javascript to hide e-mail accounts (over 15 years in use, and not a single published e-mail account has ever been harvested by spam-bots - knock on wood).

15

Good thinking Batman!

No, keep your edited file, just make sure you change the $pageroot to match the actual path to your phplist installation.

16

I already took it back to “out of the box” - installed in mydomainname.com/lists.
I only the dbase access edited (localhost,database name, username and password) to the config.php file. (I asked the hosting service, they said “localhost” will work.)

Now, I am using the tutorial to initialize the installation.
After I have it up and running, then I will change the filepath, from “/lists” to “/my_unique_url” and change the $pageroot 

I will also add about 2 dozen lines of code from the config_extended.php to the bottom of the config.php file.
I’ll let you know how it works.

17

who can teaching me if we don’t use phplist as email sending service , but keep mail list on phplist so how to put “unsubscribe” link in email to let email receiver click it to unsubscribe?

18

I have fixed this issue by “Drgonrider” this article.

19

Dragonrider,
I promised to let you know how it goes.
No Va! {It doesn’t go}

re: “No, keep your edited file, just make sure you change the $pageroot to match the actual path to your phplist installation.”

Done, but no response when I try to run the installation at » best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/pHp_list-newsletters/lists/admin/

I think it is the pageroot issue, the DB setup was fairly simple.
Here is an obscured copy from the config.php file

=== cite ====
\ what is your Mysql database server hostname
$database_host = ‘localhost’;
\what is the name of the database we are using
$database_name = ‘pHpbeff’;
\ what user has access to this database
$database_user = 'pHpbeff’;
\ and what is the password to login to control the database
$database_password = ‘Lr************************’;
=== end cite ====

Here is how I have it installed 

======= install filepaths/filenames ======
1» My ROOT for this domain name is: best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net | I will create a Static-HTML website at the root.
This is a virtual (shared) hosting account. The root for the hosting account is: /public_html

The actual root for this domain name is: /public_html/best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/

2» For the pHpList application, I created a subdirectory: /pHp_list-newsletters
This is the path to the installation: /public_html/best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/pHp_list-newsletters/

3» I uploaded the folder and contents of the /list directory like this:
/public_html/best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/pHp_list-newsletters/lists/

4» I found the pageroot setting in the config_extended.php, copied it into the bottom of the config.php file, and began editting the pageroot configuration.

5» First I tried this pageroot:
$pageroot = ‘/pHp_list-newsletters’;
That didn’t work.

6» Then I tried it like this:
$pageroot = ‘/pHp_list-newsletters/lists’;
====== end install filepaths/filenames ======*

Still nothing when I access the installer
» best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/pHp_list-newsletters/lists/admin/

Three Queries:

§ Are the five changes to the config.php file correct (the 4 DB setting and the pageroot setting)?

§ If they are correct, is there another way to get the installer to run?

§ Maybe the correct path to the installer should be matched to the program path? Something like this: best-equestrian-footing-fibers.net/pHp_list-newsletters/lists/admin/ ?

I am a mule,
Mark
(“all ears”)

20

Okay, I finally got an Apache error: HTTP 500 error
Uninstalled everything (over ten times now).
Reinstalled & configured = still no response in browser (just sitting dead).
Then changed the DB name/pw etc in config.php
Then upgraded from php v. 5.4 to 5.6.
Waited 10 minutes and finally got the standard Apache "HTTP " error (tested in MS edge & IE, Mozilla/Firefox and Google Chrome = all the same server error).

Now: how do I config this application, searched forum for this error, lots of people asking questions, but no answers which fix the problem (all their problems had to do with their hosting service, etc.)
My hosting account:
GoDaddy \ CPanel \ Running Linux-Apache and php version 5.6.