Hello,
I’m having trouble installing a Backlight update. I have the latest version.
Today I wanted to update the modules. Afterward, both the admin page and the gallery are completely white.
I can’t do anything anymore. Can anyone help me?
The pages
Admin: Backlight
The Gallerie Site: Galleries - kho-im-www: Portfolio
Thank you for your feedback.
I’m not very tech-savvy and don’t know what to do.
Thank you
Hi @kho.nrw, something may have become corrupted in the update.
Can you visit Backlight 2 Installer and re-install the core Backlight modules using the same order id and email that matches a Backlight purchase?
This process will leave your settings and albums intact.
The installer page is titled “Backlight 2” but will install the latest version you have purchased.
Hello Ben,
Thanks for your feedback.
Yes, I can run the installer. Is there a guarantee that the gallery pages in the folder will be preserved?
I’ve put a lot of work and time into this and definitely don’t want to lose or overwrite them.
Thank you. Regards, Klaus
Hi @kho.nrw, yes they will be preserved. The installer replaces the Backlight admin files under backlight/modules and has no affect on the galleries or data files. It’s the same task as performed by the Backlight Modules page when upgrading Backlight.
Okay, I ran the installer.
But the pages remain white. I can’t do anything else.
We should be able to rule out corrupted files from the installation then. Looking at PHP compatibility or something wrong with your host’s PHP setup, don’t have options to change your PHP version in your host’s control panel?
The sites worked perfectly until the update.
I don’t host the sites myself and don’t know much about these things. I can’t look for PHP settings, and I wouldn’t even know what to look for. I have Backlight specifically so I don’t have to worry about such issues.
Could I perhaps do a fresh install, or would all the galleries and pages be lost?
That wouldn’t be nice!
What can I do now?
Hi @kho.nrw, the control panel should be a straightforward interface your host has provided you to control some basic settings. Has your host not given you a login to something like that? If you can find it then there’s likely a menu item or section somewhere for PHP settings. That may provide a way of changing the running version.
It’s not likely that starting from scratch will fix this, and you’d lose all the work you’ve put in.
If you’re not able to change the PHP version, or that doesn’t solve the issue, then it would be best if I can access your server to try to work out the underlying issue. If you’re happy for me to do that then please provide me with FTP access by clicking on my profile name followed by ‘Message’. I’m sure we can get your site back up and running.
Hello Ben,
Thank you for your feedback!!
I asked my provider to restore a backup with the old directory version.
Now everything is working again for now :)!
But now I don’t dare run the update again. Is there anything we can do before the update to avoid another error?
As I said, I don’t have much knowledge of behind-the-scenes administration. I’d be happy to set up access for you if that helps in any way. Please tell me exactly what you need for it.
Maybe the update will work after all. Strange, all updates have worked flawlessly so far.
But for now, I’m happy and relieved that the pages are back!!
Thank you very much
Hi @kho.nrw, that’s great to hear. Can you visit the Backlight admin, and go to the menu item Backlight > Special Links > PHP Info then let me know the PHP version you are running?
If you’re running 5.6 or 7.0 or 7.1 then I have an idea of what the problem may be. If you’re running something newer then I recommend you provide me with FTP access so that I can attempt the upgrade, diagnose the issue and put in a long term fix so that you’re not stuck on that one working version.
Thank you very much, Ben.
The PHP info says the version is “PHP Version 5.6.40-nmm10.”
Thanks for that. I made changes recently to accommodate PHP 8.4 that look to have broken 5.6.
I can make further changes that accommodate both ends of the spectrum but they’re not ideal.
Can you ask your host if they support a newer version than 5.6? It’s very old and hasn’t had security or bug fix support from the makers of PHP since the end of 2018. I recommend moving to a newer version if possible, to ensure a secure and performant site (8.4 runs a lot better than 5.6).
Thank you very much, Ben, for your information!
I’ve contacted the provider and asked for the PHP version.
What should I do now? Stop installing any more backlight updates?
So far, the pages have worked great, and all updates have run smoothly. Until now.
I’m a little confused…
It’s important to me that the pages aren’t lost due to any errors…
Hi Ben, I just received information from my provider that I can configure my domain’s PHP version myself.
Nothing else is running there except Backlight.
So I can configure a different PHP version. I’m attaching a screenshot of the possible versions.
Which would be the right or best for Backlight?
Hi @kho.nrw, that’s great. I recommend changing to 8.3, then updating Backlight via the Backlight Modules page. You could then optionally change the version to 8.4, to be on the latest.
Hi @kho.nrw, did you change it to 8.4 before upgrading Backlight? The order is important:
OK. Back to 8.3. The page is working again :)!
Then I’ll give the backlight update a try.
Thanks in advance for your support and patience, Ben!
Hi @kho.nrw, I’m glad to hear. Not a problem. As far as I recall this is the first time that a compatibility fix for a newer PHP version has caused an incompatibility with an older PHP version. 5.6 originally came out eleven years ago, so it’s quite a broad range of versions that we are trying to support.
Let me know how you go with the upgrade and change to PHP 8.4 (if you choose to use 8.4).
Hi Ben,
I dared to try the update :).
Everything worked smoothly!!
Even setting up PHP 8.4 went smoothly.
Great, I’m excited!!
Thanks again for your patience and support!!
Best regards, Klaus
