Help! FTP confusion!

Pollo_Frito

This is my first post here and I hope someone can help. The problem is I have a file upload script using FTP. The reason is so that I can bypass the max_file_size imposed by the server/PHP.
The script is working beautifully and puts a file chosen via a form, select the folder to put it in (private or public) and hit submit. The script also overrides (and then sets it back) the script_timeout setting in php.ini on the server so that my large file can be uploaded without causing the php engine to halt - so that's not the problem.

The whole thing works beautifully from the apache server on my local windows machine, but testing fails when the scripts are run on the remote windows based system. Unfortunately it is unclear exactly what server-technology is running on the remote machine.

I haven't posted the code because I don't want to waste your time reading it. After all, the script works - no probs - on my local machine.

I could probably work this out myself if I could find out how to access the errors returned by my FTP server?

Can anyone please help in anyway at all?

AstroTeg

You check your directory paths?

You check your directory permissions?

You say you are doing "FTP". Although you are doing a file upload via a form submit, correct? If so, this is not "FTP", but an HTTP transfer. The difference is protocols being used and PHP functions used to handle the file.

The only other thing I can think of is to write in your script logging capabilities. Have your script create and update a log file (the log file could be something as simple as saying "this event happened" - one event per line). Make sure the log file is working ok and then try your script. Try to find the last event that occurred and then determine what code was between the output of that event and the next log entry. Somewhere in there you'll find your snippet of code thats not working.

This logging sounds a little painful, but shouldn't take too long to implement. It should definitely help pinpoint the problem.

Pollo_Frito

Um no - I am using FTP to upload not HTTP. The form is quite clever and allows the user to browse his/her HDD and submit a file but doesn't use the file input type to actually send the form. We just use the form to get a string path for the local file and pass this and a selected directory name to the FTP script.

I've double checked everything. As I said, the script works really well from my local server and is ftp-ing to my remote server but as soon as I try and execute the same script on my remote server I get a failed message.

However, I do not get an error, just my own message echo'd on screen. I can not find a way of returning any errors from the FTP server - any ideas?

A log would be a great idea, but unfortunately won't help if I don't know what is being returned as the reason why my Upload has failed.

Cheers for responding so quickly tho... 😃

AstroTeg

If you're using PHP's built in FTP functions, then you can at least determine which FTP command your script is getting stuck at (such as ftp_put()/ftp_get(), ftp_connect(), ftp_login()).

If its getting stuck at get()/put(), then look at the file paths. Try using an FTP client on your PC to connect to the remote path using the same user account your script is and determine if you can upload a file. You can then watch the transfer and determine if its a permissions problem or a directory location problem or a PHP script problem.

Pollo_Frito

The script isn't getting stuck that's the wierd thing. The line that starts

$upload = ftp_put(....

is fine but when I check to see if

$upload

is successful I get the line that it isn't.

The script is not timing out and completes almost instantly.
The script runs absolutely perfectly from my local machine to the same destination.
Permissions are fine, the script works from one location but not the other. Plus I can log on with any FTP client of my choice and upload/download at will.

I have verified the uploaded files sent by the script on my local machine by downloading them using CUTE_FTP and playing them (uploaded files are MP3s).

It is really wierd.

The only thing I can think of is that I can't FTP to the same server I am running the script from but I have no way of testing that. Any idea's?

AstroTeg

Let me make sure I'm on the same page as you.

You said you're using ftp_put() which means the server running the PHP code will be uploading a file to the connected destination FTP server.

Is this what you're intentions are?

It sounds like you want the client to upload the file, not the PHP code server (from the PHP code server's view point, it needs to download a file or use ftp_get()).

Pollo_Frito

Originally posted by AstroTeg
It sounds like you want the client to upload the file, not the PHP code server (from the PHP code server's view point, it needs to download a file or use ftp_get()).

interesting - I hadn't looked at it from that point of view. I can't use the client because the max file size is set to 2Mb and a fair majority of target uploads will be MP3s of decent quality and larger than that.

I need to have a look at using ftp_get(). Cheers for that - will let you know how I get on.

Pollo_Frito

FYI

tried using ftp_get() and that doesn't work. Either get a permission denied (when the file to be uploaded is set as the localfile) or get Error Opening File (when se as the remotefile).

As I thought, upload_max_filesize can't be altered with ini_set() so using HTTP is a no-go. How do I do this without resorting to begging my Host to let me amend this amount (which they're not going to do 😃).

Still looking for ideas. Cheers for your help so far

AstroTeg

You'll have to do an HTTP transfer OR setup an FTP account and directory to give to your clients to have them upload to. Notice here THEY have to upload to you. The browser will not let a remote server initiate an FTP session back to the client's machine (aka: the machine the browser is running on).

Are you on an Apache server? If so, you might be able to change upload_max_filesize from an .htaccess file.

I found this in another forum and it was to solve a timeout issue - which you may or may not need for the upload (the code below goes in .htaccess in the same directory as the script you are running). It doesn't have "upload_max_filesize", but I'd predict it would look like: "php_value upload_max_filesize 10mb" or whatever value you wanted.

<IfModule mod_php4.c>
php_value set_time_limit 240
php_value max_input_time 300
php_value max_execution_time 300
</IfModule>

Its possible Apache is not configured to let you do this, but its worth a shot. To test, check phpinfo() and see what you get for the max upload size (make sure to check all the columns).

Pollo_Frito

cheers astro - I'll have a go 🙂