FTP error changing directories to /.

[stopfordian]

Every single time I do an upload, I always get the message "FTP error changing directories to /."
I click Retry and it always continues the upload with no problems.

Why does Actinic always fail at this point?

I have changed my FTP Options to double the default numbers:
Client Timeout 30000
Connection Timeout 50000

Silent Running is Enabled
Maximum Retries 60
Retry Delay 6000

Here is the bit of the ftp log which shows the error...

+00000 [0] ->Retrieving current directory
+00047 [0] <-Response: 
257 "/takesyourfancy/acatalog" is the current directory

+1001766 [0] ->Setting directory to /
+00062 [0] <-Response: 
421 No transfer timeout (600 seconds): closing control connection

+04453 [0] ->Setting directory to /
+00047 [0] The connection with the server was terminated abnormally

+06000 [0] Closing connection
+00000 [0] ->Sending command QUIT
+00000 [0] Closed Connection
+00000 [0] ->Opening connection to www.takesyourfancy.co.uk on port 21
+02125 [0] <-Response: 
220 FTP Server ready.
331 Password required for username
230 User username logged in

+00000 [0] ->Setting directory to /takesyourfancy/acatalog
+00031 [0] <-Response: 
250 CWD command successful

+00000 [0] ->Retrieving current directory
+00063 [0] <-Response: 
257 "/takesyourfancy/acatalog" is the current directory

+00000 [0] ->Setting directory to /
+00031 [0] <-Response: 
250 CWD command successful

+00000 [0] ->Retrieving current directory
+00031 [0] <-Response: 
257 "/" is the current directory

I have to wait for the Reviewing files to complete before I can hit Retry, and as I have thousands of pages to check, this can take a long time.
I don't mind that Reviewing files takes a long time, I just want Actinic to retry without my intervention.

My permissions are set as normal (acatalog as 777, cgi-bin as 755).

Any ideas?

[Darren B]

can you post you network settings and also the type of server you are on

[stopfordian]

OK, here are my network settings:

HTTPPROXYMODE	0
HTTPPROXYADDRESS	
HTTPPROXYPORT	80
HTTPPROXYUSER	
HTTPPROXYPASSWORD	
FTPPROXYMODE	0
FTPPROXYADDRESS	
FTPPROXYPORT	21
FTPPROXYUSER	
FTPPROXYPASSWORD	
SCRIPTID	1
SCRIPTEXT	.pl
SMTPHOST	auth.smtp.oneandone.co.uk
WEBSITEURL	http://www.takesyourfancy.co.uk/
IGNOREPASSIVEERRORS	true
USERELATIVECGIURLS	false
PATHTOPERL	/usr/bin/perl
USEENHANCEFTP	true
FTPCLIENTTIMEOUT	30000
FTPRETRYDELAY	6000
FTPSILENT	true
FTPMAXRETRIES	60
FTPCONNECTTIMEOUT	50000
SMTPAUTHREQUIRED	false
SMTPUSERNAME	
SMTPPASSWORD	
CATALOGURL	http://www.takesyourfancy.co.uk/acatalog/
CGIBINURL	http://www.takesyourfancy.co.uk/cgi-bin/
PATHFROMCGITOCATALOG	../acatalog/
CODEBASE	./
FTPHOST	www.takesyourfancy.co.uk
FTPUSERNAME	usernameremoved
FTPPASSWORD	passwordremoved
PATHTOCGIBIN	/takesyourfancy/cgi-bin/
USEPASSIVEFTP	false
FTPPATHFROMCGITOCATALOG	/takesyourfancy/acatalog/

I am using Business Multisite 8.5.3 IDHB
I am on 1&1 Business package (Unix server)

The network settings above are exactly the same as I used for v7 (except the FTP numbers, which I have doubled). On v7, I never got this error message.

During an upload, after Actinic has checked the HTML pages/catalog/search indices, it checks for the existence of the directories using FTP and if they are not found, it creates them.
Then it starts the Reviewing files process which in my case, takes a very long time.
After that, it wants to start FTPing again, but because the FTP session has timed out, I get the error message.

BTW, v7 was much quicker reviewing files so that may explain why I never got the error message.

[Duncan Rounding]

Compare your settings to these:
http://community.actinic.com/showpos...88&postcount=1
I use these settings on 1and1 business for v7 thru 9 without any problems.

[stopfordian]

My settings are the same except:

USEPASSIVEFTP false
FTPPATHFROMCGITOCATALOG /takesyourfancy/acatalog/

I prefer not to switch on passive ftp, so Actinic picks up the server acknowledgement messages.
I will remove the other entry to see if that makes a difference. I will be uploading soon so will answer back here when complete.

[Darren B]

Passive was designed to resolve connection problems with ftp active mode when people are behind a firewall, using nat routing and the firewall is not able to read the responses correctly / translate external ip's and a whole load of other problems the internet gives you.

active mode basically runs on ports 21 & 20 not so with passive

I guess it really depends on wether you want it for a specific reason, unfortunately for me if one does not work i use the other

[stopfordian]

With the FTPPATHFROMCGITOCATALOG blanked out, the upload has got past the original error without any input from me
However, this change has kicked off a full upload of all pages and all images
I'll report back after the upload has completed - it'll be a while!

[Darren B]

unfortunately any changes to the network settings will prompt a full upload, when i do i select full upload and exclude images

i thought your path should have been ../acatalog not blanked out?

[Mike Hughes]

i thought your path should have been ../acatalog not blanked out?

Isn't this the one that Actinic likes to work out from the other settings and generally says something like "Leave blank unless otherwise advised".

Mike

[Darren B]

ah am i talking about the wrong one then?

[stopfordian]

After the full upload, I made some changes to existing products/section pages and the upload produced the same error message again

So, now I have set USEPASSIVEFTP true.

After performing a web refresh (excluding images, thanks for that tip Darren ), it still showed the error.

So now I am going to set the connection timeout to 600 seconds, which matches the connection timeout as shown in the FTP log.
Results will be posted when that has been done.

[stopfordian]

Well, I couldn't set the timeout to 600 seconds as the maximum number I could set was 60000 milliseconds (60 seconds). So I set...
Client timeout to 60000
Connection timeout to 60000
Maximum retires to 127 (the maximum)
Retry Delay to 60000

And still the error message about changing directories to / appeared

Now I am out of ideas!

Maybe someone in Actinic Towers can respond?

[Duncan Rounding]

Strange. I've never had this issue with 1and1.
Could this perhaps be your isp or local router dropping connection.

[stopfordian]

Isn't it standard practice for an FTP session to timeout after a period of inactivity? (which in my case, with 1and1, is 600 seconds or 10 minutes as my initial FTP log in post #1 shows).
With my v7, the Reviewing files stage took less than 10 minutes so it always worked.
Now with v8, the Reviewing files stage is taking a lot longer, so the 1and1 server is terminating the FTP session.
I was under the impression that Actinic was able to keep a session alive (or start a new session, if terminated). Maybe with the Enhanced FTP options?

I can't be the only one where Reviewing files is taking a long time, surely?

[stopfordian]

This worked for me...

I removed the Use Enhanced FTP checkbox, did a Refresh Website (excluding images).
Then after modifying some items, just did an Update Website and the error message no longer appears.

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Paul

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