Ionos upgrade resulting in error 500 across the site

[KarenBM]

Our website has been unable to take orders, and run any script since midnight, throwing up server error 500. I rang ionos suppert who had no idea, however it now appears that they have performed a major update, which has in effect broken our website. This is the email just received from them: I

Today, on July 22, 2020, we have updated the operating system of our shared hosting Linux platform. With this update, you will profit from better resource utilisation, the current LTS (Long-Term-Support) Debian Patches and higher system security.

During the update process, we have realised you are using Perl scripts with your Professional contract. For this reason, we would like to ask you to check the compatibility and functionality of your Perl scripts with the newly available Perl version and to perform changes where necessary.
Additionally, we have changed the versions of the following scripting languages and database libraries with this operating system update:

- Perl 5.28.1
- Python 3 3.7.3
- Ruby 2.5.5
- MySQL tools 15.1 Distribution 10.3.22-MariaDB

Please find technical details and further information by clicking on the following link:

https://www.ionos.co.uk/help/index.php?id=4795



The site is not returning to normal, so clearly I have to do something, just absolutely no idea what. I have been paying extra for PHP5.2 as that was required for Sellerdeck. Have anyone else experienced this problem, and what did you do to resolve it? I would submit a ticket via Sellerdeck support but that is down at the moment.

Thank you.

[Mike Hughes]

Hi Karen,

I’m away this week and just got the email from 1&1 / Ionos.

Reading your post got me worried but I’ve just placed a trial order on my website and it all seems to be working OK.

The only difference I can see is that I’m using the 1&1 Unlimited Pro contract but other than that the email reads the same.

I am on V18 though and this might have support for newer Perl versions but I’d have to check to be sure either way.

ps. I don’t think you need the PHP 5.2 support. I cancelled their extra charges for this a more than a year ago without any problems.

pps.. I got this in an email from sellerdeck this morning. Don’t know if it will help

Ticket System Down - Support Still Available

We are currently experiencing issues with our ticketing system and it is unavailable. However, support is still available, please call us on 0845 129 4848 and speak with a Sellerdeck Support Technician. We use a back-up ticketing system for these rare instances, so that we can continue to provide support. Once our main system is operational, we will copy across all the data from the back-up system so that no information is lost.

We apologise for the inconvenience this may be causing and we are working on solving the problems and getting the main system live as quickly as possible.

Mike

[Goz]

Why does SD require PHP5.2? I'm running sites on a variety of PHP 7.x ...... it doesn't use PHP does it?

Open SellerDeck and click on Help > Troubleshooting then click on Web Site Analysis. Report back here anything it finds that it doesn't like.

[KarenBM]

I got the email from Sellerdeck too, I was able to submit a support ticket earlier though so hope they get it. The problem is definitely due to whatever Ionos did. Good it didn't affect your site Mike. I am sure there was something here on the forum some years ago saying we had to carry on using PHP5.2, and I can see my Sellerdeck version uses PHP5.23.

I cannot run website analysis Goz, I tried earlier but it wont do it, supposedly because none of the script will run.

Incidentally, when I try to send an email from within Sellerdeck - or test network settings - I get this:

The test script failed to execute on the web server. The error could be caused by several things. Check:
- the 'Path to the Perl shell'
- the 'CGI script extension'
- the 'Path to CGI-BIN'
- the 'CGI-BIN URL'
- the amount of web space left on your server
- if your server is configured to accept POSTs to CGI scripts
- the permissions on the server:
On Linux/Unix based servers the permissions should be:
cgi-bin (755)– drwxr-xr-x
Online Store Folder (777)– drwxrwxrwx
On Windows based servers (need to be checked with the hosting company):
IIS
cgi-bin = read/execute
Online Store Folder = read/write/execute
NTFS
cgi-bin = Catalog's FTP account needs 'Change' permissions on the directory
Online Store Folder = Catalog's FTP account needs 'Change' permissions on the directory AND the IUSR_<servername> account needs to have 'Change' permissions on the directory

[Goz]

I can see my Sellerdeck version uses PHP5.23.

SellerDeck only uses PHP locally on your PC. It does not use PHP on the web server.

[Goz]

What's your website address Karen?

[KarenBM]

What's your website address Karen?

www.charmedcardsandcrafts.co.uk

[Mike Hughes]

Yes, when I try anything to do with the Perl scripts, such as search or add to cart, I see The 500 error on Karen’s site.

[Mike Hughes]

Doing a quick check I can see that both V16 and V18 release notes refer to fixes to correct incompatibilities with Perl 5.24.

Before this I think Perl 5.10 was the compatible standard.

the only way I can think to verify if this is the problem would be to try a V18 Test install on Karen’s server.

[KarenBM]

Doing a quick check I can see that both V16 and V18 release notes refer to fixes to correct incompatibilities with Perl 5.24.

Before this I think Perl 5.10 was the compatible standard.

the only way I can think to verify if this is the problem would be to try a V18 Test install on Karen’s server.

Problem is I can't afford to lose business until I can get a V18 running. How can I see which version Sellerdeck V14.03 is compatible with?

[Mike Hughes]

There were reports of sellerdeck v10 having problems when 1&1 upgraded Perl to 5.20 but nothing I can remember since.

Karen who is your domain with? There are a few of us who could probably set you up with some temporary hosting but it depends on how easy it is to point your domain to a new server.

Also host-it have a good reputation on here and it might be worth switching to them. I’ve always been lucky with 1&1 but I’ve come across quite a few others over the years who haven’t and have switched hosts.

[Goz]

I was thinking about offering temporary hosting too Mike - if it's not something that you can do Mike.

I get the feeling that this will be unresolvable for SD2014 on Ionos.

[KarenBM]

I am happy with 1and1 and not keen on changing hosts after 15 years of being with them. I shall try and see what Sellerdeck support suggets, and also speak to 1and1 again tomorrow.

[KarenBM]

I was on the phone to 1and1 at midnight, and also emailed support and everything seem to work today, so have no idea if they managed to do something. Incidentally the previous version of perl was 2.5, so that was compatible with Sellerdeck 14.03 at least.

UPDATE: Nope, as soon as I uploaded the site again, to remove notices I had put on there to explain that customers couldn't order, it stopped working again. Once again it is unusable. How can that be? Earlier I could add to basket, email from with Sellerdeck etc, as soon as I published the site it all went to ruin again!

[KarenBM]

I checked the CGI bin and most of the files there seem to have been modified yesterday, and some today, presumably by my upload this morning?





am I meant to be able to see the perlscript.pl in there, or has it been hidden? Mike can you see yours on 1and1?