Bug#401757: [pkg-horde] Bug#401757: horde3 configuration generated automatically is missing some fundamental parameters

[Massimo Manghi]

Thank you Ola for your swift answer

I reinstalled everything and specified mysql as the database backend
for horde. There are no excuses for having overlooked this. My fault

Ola Lundqvist wrote:
> severity 401757 important
> thanks
>
> On Tue, Dec 05, 2006 at 07:00:02PM +0100, Massimo Manghi wrote:
>   
>> Package: horde3
>> Version: 3.1.3-2
>> Severity: grave
>> Justification: renders package unusable
>>
>> I installed horde3 on etch using a clean system that had no previous
>> horde/imp installation. After having carried out every single step
>> in the installation checklist, changed the authorization bits and so on,
>> I was able to access the configuration page and chose some requested
>> options. As i generated the configuration horde3 was ipso-facto hosed 
>> since some fundamental parameters are actually missing in the conf files. 
>>     
>
> What is missing, and what configuration file are you referring to?
>
>   
I refer to the /etc/horde/horde3/conf.php file. The configuration generated
missed a $conf['prefs']['charset'] definition.  After having specified the
database backend this definition seems to become irrelevant (scripts 
don't fail
on this parameter being missing, but the definition is not in conf.php 
either)

>> At first scripts are stuck with the charset parameter not being 
>> specified in the conf global structure. 
>> Hacking the conf structure with an editor overcomes that problem but 
>> scripts then fail inexorably with the following error 
>>
>> DB Error: not found
>>
>> [line 393 of /usr/share/horde3/lib/Horde/Prefs/sql.php]
>> ...
>> Unable to include the DB/.php file for 'Array'"
>>
>> I suggest to provide a reasonable default for each and every
>> one parameter that might be otherwise left out of the conf files, 
>> given the complexity and size of the configuration.
>>     
>
> That is simply not possible as we do not know what database or
> other thing you want to configure it against.
>
> In horde2 automation was available but the problem with that was that
> it was so incredibly hard to get it working and now there is a
> configuration wizard available that help you some.
>
>   
As I said: my fault

>> For some steps the documentation provided in README.Debian
>> is inaccurate (admittedly the package is not simple either): 
>>     
>
> I agree that the package is not simple.
>
>   

definitely
>> eg the README suggests to create separately the
>> session table, whereas it is created by default by the script 
>> that created the basic horde3 database (mysql), no file location for
>>     
> Hmm that may be incorrect. I have not checked recently.
>  
>   
>> the 'php_flag session.auto_start Off' setting is provided 
>>     
>
> That is because it depends on php version.
>
>   

This is worth a mention in README.Debian.  I beg your pardon for not
being a php specialist, but is that the php4 or php5 syntax? Looks like php5
(for what I read in the docs on www.php.net).  On my php4 based 
installation
I found in /etc/php4/apache/php.ini the following definition

; Initialize session on request startup.
session.auto_start = 0

>> (I found one in /etc/php4/apache/php.ini with a slighly different 
>> syntax. Is that the one?). The README makes reference to a link
>> (``Configuration``) in the Administration menu that doesn't exist
>> (maybe this is the real problem?)
>>     
> What link are you referring to?
>
>   

Quoting README.Debian

"You should first configure a real authentication backend.
Click on ``Configuration`` in the ``Administration`` menu and configure
Horde.  Start in the ``Authentication`` tab."

The initial page at http://<hostname>/horde3/ shows an Administration
link that pops a menu up but there is no "Configuration"  link in it.
I rather got to the configuration menus through this sequence of links.

Administration->Setup->Horde3

> And if you are referring to the Configuration wizard page, then yes
> you are referring to your real problem!
>
>   

This is probably the case. I've regerated the configuration, copied into
/etc/horde/horde3/conf.php and reloaded the initial page. The browser enters
something like an infinite loop requesting from the apache server the
same page over and over again (I can provide the url if needed).

regards

-- 
-- Massimo Manghi 

-- Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale 
-- Università degli Studi di Parma
-- Parco Area delle Scienze 11A - 43100 Parma