So..many..errors..

Hi.

I've been tasked with setting up this GroupServer. And I'm having so many
issues doing so. One error after the other, and the docs really aren't helpful
past getting the thing actually installed and running. Nothing about how to use
it, or anything that goes more technical into, for example, rewrite rules.
Here's what I have;

- Plain Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS x64 server.
- Python 2.6
- GroupServer 11.07

Everything ran and installed seemingly fine. ./bin/instance fg runs with some
output, looking like errors, but sits there in the foreground like it's
running.

Nginx is installed proxying public IP's port 80 to localhost's IP port 8080.
Accessing the server's actual hostname (or IP) /manage responds with what seems
to be the Zope interface. I've created my group, and it's sat in a nice folder
in Zope's root admin all nice and happy. I have this rewrite rule setup in
nginx for the hostname;

rewrite ^/(.*)
/VirtualHostBase/http/groups.mydomain.org:80/mydomain/Content/initial_site/++skin++gs_blue/VirtualHostRoot/$1
last;

(I've replaced the real domain name itself with "mydomain". the remainder of
the configuration (including the subdomain it's configured to respond on) are
intact).

Nginx then simply proxies that request like so;

        location / {
                proxy_pass              http://127.0.0.1:8080;
                proxy_set_header        Host    $host;
                proxy_set_header        X-Forwarded-For
$proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        }

Accessing the hostname on port 80, after this rewrite rule, and adding /manage
seems to take me to an admin console for the group itself. That's where my
issues start.

Firstly, I was getting this:

LocationError(, 'get_canonicalNickname') (Also, the following error occurred
while attempting to render the standard error message, please see the event log
for full details: (<User 'admin'>, 'get_canonicalNickname'))

Then I found the forum post which says that Zope and GS are using different
user databases, and that this was expected. So I switched browsers. Now I get
this;

AssertionError() (Also, the following error occurred while attempting to render
the standard error message, please see the event log for full details: )

I really..have no idea where to go from here. Can anyone help?

I have a blog, which I post about rants and ramblings when I run into issues
and manage to solve them. I usually write about stuff that's otherwise hard to
find online, instructions, documentation, help, etc. Because of that, I'm well
indexed with Google. If I ever get this working, I'll write a basic how-to from
empty server to functioning GroupServer, which should help you in your
documentation woes :)

Help is muchly appreciated.

Dan

In terms of using the tool, note:
http://onlinegroups.net/support

All sorts of different guides for different audiences.

Also, while we have an install with customized features, this
screencast might be of interest:


Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072



On Mon, Aug 8, 2011 at 7:57 PM, Michael JasonSmith

<email obscured>> wrote:
> Hi Dan,,
>
> I am sorry things are not going well for you. I will try to help where I
> can.
>
> The first thing to check is *did* GroupServer install fine? Sadly, the
> message at the end of the installation process prints out regardless of
> success or failure. In addition it is so long it causes any error to
> scroll out of the way¹. The result is that the message makes people
> think that the install ran fine, when it did not.
>
> The log is quite chatty, I admit. However, errors in the log are
> normally prefixed with "ERROR", or have error in the name (as
> AssertionError does).
>
> You say that Zope starts fine. Can you navigate to the ZMI? Is the
> GroupServer instance, initial site, and example group all there? If you
> click on "acl_users" in the GroupServer instance you should be able to
> see a couple of users listed. Is that the case? Can you connect to the
> PostgreSQL database and see the email addresses in the "user_email"
> table?
>
> You are correct, there is no technical information on how to write NGINX
> rewrite rules. The reason for this is three-fold. First, I am about the
> only person who writes documentation. Second, I run GroupServer without
> any proxy on my development platform, relying on just the built in
> virtual hosting for the rewrite rules. Finally, I have no experience
> running Apache, NGINX, Varnish, HA-Proxy, Squid² or any other proxy in
> front of GroupServer. I know that GroupServer *can* be made to work, as
> this site currently runs with NGINX as a proxy and did run with Apache,
> but I am not an administrator.
>
> The assertion error should have a line-number associated with it. It is
> a check to ensure that the world is a sane place. If it gets tripped
> either I wrote a bad check, or there is a problem that the check picked
> up. Either way, I will need a line number to see what the problem is.
>
> *Footnotes*
>
>     1. For more information see Ticket 667: End of Buildout Message
>        <https://projects.iopen.net/groupserver/ticket/677>.
>     2. Do people still run Squid?
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------
> Full text of this topic in GroupServer Development:
> http://groupserver.org/r/topic/2HN3SXDruXqGovm3WeWVKh
>
> To leave GroupServer Development, email
> <email obscured>?Subject=unsubscribe
>
> Start your own free groups and site with
> OnlineGroups.Net http://onlinegroups.net
>
> Host your own online groups site with
> GroupServer http://groupserver.org
>

Hi Dan,

>From looking at the logs you helpfully posted I suspect I can see the
issue:

        2011-08-08 19:50:51 CRITICAL Zope A user was not specified to
        setuid to; fix this to start as root (change the effective-user
        directive in zope.conf)

Zope has refused to start as the root-user. Because of this the code to
setup GroupServer failed to run.

I would chown your GroupServer installation. Then, as a normal user,
delete the file delete "/var/groupserver-11.07/var/setup-gs.cfg". Then
re-run buildout:

        $ ./bin/buildout -v

Kind regards,
  Michael

Hi Dan,

I am sorry, but the ZMI lies in a couple of ways. First, what it calls a
"GroupServer Site" is not a site at all. Second, the UI does not work.

What the ZMI calls a site should be called a GroupServer Instance.
      * One Zope instance can run many instances on GroupServer.
        GroupServer instances (usually) just share ZMI administrators.
        For example OnlineGroups.Net and the E-Democracy.Org forums run
        in different GroupServer instances.
              * One GroupServer Instance can run many GroupServer Sites.
                Sites share users, database connections, and have a
                shared mailing-list manger. For example GroupServer.Org
                and OnlineGroups.Net are different GroupServer sites
                running in the same GroupServer instance. (You can log
                into both sites using the same email address and
                password.)
                      * One GroupServer Site can run multiple groups.
                        Groups share a URL and skin. For example,
                        GroupServer Development and GroupServer
                        Announcement are different groups on the same
                        site.

The second lie in the ZMI is that you can add a GroupServer instance
using that interface. It *may* be possible to enter in the right data
and make it work, but I have not tested it in around five years. I would
not get my hopes up.

                                   ❧

>From your description of your task, I you will be better off with a
different GroupServer site, rather than a different GroupServer
instance. There is no UI for doing this. However, you should be able to
do it by hand.
     1. Copy the existing site, in the Content folder of the instance.
     2. Paste a new site in the Content folder of the instance.
     3. Rename the new site. The new ID for the site cannot have any
        spaces.
     4. Edit the DivisonConfiguration in the new site. Change the
        configuration to appropriate values.
     5. Delete the group from the "groups" folder of the new site.
     6. Create a user-group for the site in "acl_users". The new user
        group should have the same ID as the site, but with "_member" at
        the end.
     7. Change your virtual hosting to point at the new site.

I think that will work. Let me know how you get on ☺

Hi Dan,

Sorry, I forgot to get you to do one thing.
     1. Start the ZMI.
     2. Visit to the site-folder, within the in Content folder.
     3. Select on the Security tab. The Security page will be shown.
     4. Click “local roles”. The Roles page will be shown.
     5. At the bottom of the page is the Group and Roles lists. In the
        Group list select "gracedupage_member". Select "DivisionMember"
        in the Roles list.
     6. Click the Add button. The site-member user-group will be given
        the role of a division member.

Does anyone have any insight about the last errors Dan was getting?  We're
hoping to get this Group Server install going this month.

Thanks,

-Matt


On Aug 20, 2011, at 8:00 AM, dan wrote:

> Ok, just tried to do a fresh install. Got more errors.
>
> Firstly, were warnings about sites/URLs being blocked by --allow-hosts. I
found a section in buildout.cfg with allow-hosts, and added the 2 URLs into
there, and these problems went away. The domains were;
>
>        bitbucket.org
>        *simplistix.co.uk
>
> Secondly, I get this during buildout now, and it won't proceed. The error
talks about a /tmp directory not existing.
>
> Running easy_install:
> /var/www/groupserver-11.07/bin/python "-c" "from
setuptools.command.easy_install import main; main()" "-mUNxd"
"/var/www/groupserver-11.07/eggs/tmpMXo8iF" "-Z" "-q"
"/var/www/groupserver-11.07/downloads/dist/mailinglogger-3.4.0.tar.gz"
> path=/var/www/groupserver-11.07/eggs/distribute-0.6.19-py2.6.egg
>
> error:
/tmp/easy_install-84inYE/mailinglogger-3.4.0/mailinglogger/version.txt: No such
file or directory
>
> Any clues how to proceed? Originally, the simplistix.co.uk domain seemed to
be where this mailinglogger thing was coming from. Removed the allow-hosts
error so it could download, but it still won't install.

>
> Any ideas?
>
> Dan
> -----------------------------------------
> Full text of this topic in GroupServer Development:
> http://groupserver.org/r/topic/2xZOITAF9l4Jk0w4cYwpCO
>
> To leave GroupServer Development, email
> <email obscured>?Subject=unsubscribe
>
> Start your own free groups and site with
> OnlineGroups.Net http://onlinegroups.net
>
> Host your own online groups site with
> GroupServer http://groupserver.org

tarball of logs attached.

well why doesnt it work then?